The ascetic drank wine with such elegance that the cupbearer's gaze turned toward him, whereas until now the drunkards had thought he was unworthy of the wine gathering.

In Urdu poetry, the 'zahid' (the stern ascetic) is often dismissed by regular drinkers as someone unfit for the tavern's refined culture. Here, the poet flips the script with gentle charm: when the ascetic finally takes a sip, he does so with such profound reverence and poise that even the Saqi's admiring eyes turn toward him. It suggests that when a disciplined, sincere soul finally surrenders to love and divine intoxication, they do it with a depth and grace that habitual revelers can only envy.