وسريعِ الجوابِ نازعتُه القو

وسريعِ الجوابِ نازعتُه القو

لَ فأُفْحِمْتُ واستبانَ اعتلاؤُهْ

لَ فأُفْحِمْتُ واستبانَ اعتلاؤُهْ

And I traded words with one swift in reply,

I hastily questioned his strength of mind

so I was silenced, and his superiority became clear.

So I was silenced, his superiority apparent

قلت ما بالُ وردِ خدّيكَ نَضْراً

قلت ما بالُ وردِ خدّيكَ نَضْراً

وهو مستخرَجٌ بريقك ماؤهْ

وهو مستخرَجٌ بريقك ماؤهْ

I said, 'Why is the rose of your cheeks so fresh,

I said, why the freshness of your cheek?

though its moisture is drawn out through your saliva?'

It draws its sheen from your brilliance as water

فتثنى وقال لي كيف يذْوي

فتثنى وقال لي كيف يذْوي

وحياهُ كما رأيت حياؤهُ

وحياهُ كما رأيت حياؤهُ

Then he swayed and said to me, 'How could it wither,

He bent and said to me, how can it wither

when its rain, as you have seen, is its bashfulness?'

When its life, as you see it, is bashfulness

قلتُ دعْني أشمّهُ قال مهلاً

قلتُ دعْني أشمّهُ قال مهلاً

مقصَدُ الشيخِ حسْوُهُ لا ارْتغاؤهُ

مقصَدُ الشيخِ حسْوُهُ لا ارْتغاؤهُ

I said, 'Let me smell it.' He said, 'Not so fast:

I said, let me smell it, he said, not so fast

the old man's aim is to sip it, not drink its froth.'

The elder’s aim is to sense it, not covet it