«لِتَقَادُمِ الْمَوَالِدِ، لَا لِتَقَدُّمِ الصَّادِرِ عَلَى الْوَارِدِ»
Because their births belong to an earlier time, not necessarily because of superior achievement.
The contrast between taqādum and taqaddum is both sonic and conceptual. One points to age or temporal priority; the other to advancement or excellence.
The distinction is central to the elder’s reasoning. The date of a composition and its literary value are separate questions. Admiring an older text may be justified, but its antiquity alone is not sufficient proof of artistic superiority.