وقالوا نريد أخا فطنة

وقالوا نريد أخا فطنة

بعلم القياس وأسراره

بعلم القياس وأسراره

And they said: We want a man of insight,

They said, “We want a wise brother,

versed in the science of analogy and its secrets.

Skilled in analogies and their secrets.

وكل لبيب أخي فطنة

وكل لبيب أخي فطنة

يسائل عن شرح أخباره

يسائل عن شرح أخباره

And every discerning man endowed with insight

Every intelligent person is my wise brother.

asks for an explanation of its details:

All ask about explaining his news.

لأيّة حال يحبّ الصغير

لأيّة حال يحبّ الصغير

ويحتاط سائر أوطاره

ويحتاط سائر أوطاره

For what reason is the young one loved,

Why does the little one love

and all his wishes carefully attended to?

And be cautious in all his states?”

فقلت وقد أكثروا في المرا

فقلت وقد أكثروا في المرا

بطول الخطاب وإقصاره

بطول الخطاب وإقصاره

So I said, after they had argued at length,

I said, since they went on at length

in discourse both long and brief:

With long speech and brevity,

يحبّ الصغير لإقباله

يحبّ الصغير لإقباله

ويقصى الكبير لإدباره

ويقصى الكبير لإدباره

The young one is loved for his advance,

“The little one loves for his rising status,

and the old one is shunned for his decline.

And the elder is shunned for his fading away.”