سَأَلتُ أَخي أَبا عيسى

سَأَلتُ أَخي أَبا عيسى

وَجِبريلَ لَهُ عَقلُ

وَجِبريلَ لَهُ عَقلُ

I asked my brother Abu Isa;

I asked my brother Abu Isa

I asked my brother, Abu Isa,

by Jibril, he has sense.

And Jibril has a mind for him

And Jibril, who is of sound mind,

فَقُلتُ الخَمرُ تُعجِبُني

فَقُلتُ الخَمرُ تُعجِبُني

فَقالَ كَثيرُها قَتلُ

فَقالَ كَثيرُها قَتلُ

So I said, "Wine pleases me."

So I said wine delights me

I said, "This wine is my delight,"

So he said, "Much of it kills."

He said a lot of it kills

He said, "In excess, death you'll find."

فَقُلتُ لَهُ فَقَدِّر لي

فَقُلتُ لَهُ فَقَدِّر لي

فَقالَ وَقَولُهُ فَصلُ

فَقالَ وَقَولُهُ فَصلُ

So I said to him, "Then set a measure for me."

So I said allot me some

I said to him, "Then prescribe for me,"

So he said—and his word is decisive—

He said and his words are just

He spoke, his sentence well-defined:

وَجَدتُ طَبائِعَ الإِنسا

وَجَدتُ طَبائِعَ الإِنسا

نِ أَربَعَةً هِيَ الأَصلُ

نِ أَربَعَةً هِيَ الأَصلُ

"I found the humors of human-

I found human nature

"I find the humors of the body"

kind to be four; they are the foundation.

Divided in four kinds in its root

"Are four, the roots of all mankind;"

فَأَربَعَةٌ لِأَربَعَةٍ

فَأَربَعَةٌ لِأَربَعَةٍ

لِكُلِّ طَبيعَةٍ رِطلُ

لِكُلِّ طَبيعَةٍ رِطلُ

So four for four:

So four kinds for four

"So four full measures for the four,"

a ratl for each humor."

For each nature a pound

"For every humor, a pint assigned."