وَأَفضَلُand the best قَسمِallotment of اللَهِGod لِلمَرءِto a man عَقلُهُhis intellect
وَأَفضَلُ قَسمِ اللَهِ لِلمَرءِ عَقلُهُ
فَلَيسَfor there is no مِنamong الخَيراتِgood things شِيءٌanything يُقارِبُهcomes close to it
فَلَيسَ مِن الخَيراتِ شِيءٌ يُقارِبُه
And the best of God's allotments to a man is his intellect;
A man's intellect is the best gift he's given
The best allotment God grants a man is his intellect,
for nothing among good things comes close to it.
Of all life's blessings, it is most heaven-laden
For no other blessing can compare to it.
إِذاwhen أَكمَلَperfects الرَحمَنُthe Most Merciful لِلمَرءِfor a man عَقلَهُhis intellect
إِذا أَكمَلَ الرَحمَنُ لِلمَرءِ عَقلَهُ
فَقَدthen indeed كُمُلَتhave become perfect أَخلاقُهُhis character وَمآرِبُهand his aims
فَقَد كُمُلَت أَخلاقُهُ وَمآرِبُه
When the Most Merciful perfects a man's intellect,
When God completes a man's intellect for him
If the Merciful One perfects a man’s reason,
then his character and aims have reached perfection.
His manners and goals become fully ripened
Then his character and his ambitions are truly complete.
يَعيشُlives الفَتىthe young man فيamong الناسِpeople بِالعَقلِby intellect إِنَّهُindeed he
يَعيشُ الفَتى في الناسِ بِالعَقلِ إِنَّهُ
عَلىupon العَقلِintellect يِجريproceeds عَلمُهُhis knowledge وَتَجارِبُهand his experiences
عَلى العَقلِ يِجري عَلمُهُ وَتَجارِبُه
A young man lives among people by his intellect; indeed,
With intellect, a lad lives on among people
A man lives among the people by virtue of his mind,
his knowledge and experiences are guided by intellect.
His knowledge and trials flow by its steeple
For upon the mind his knowledge and experiences depend.
يَزينُadorns الفَتىthe young man فيamong الناسِpeople صِحَّةُsoundness of عَقلِهِhis intellect
يَزينُ الفَتى في الناسِ صِحَّةُ عَقلِهِ
وَإِنeven if كانَis مَحظوراًbarred عَلَيهِto him مَكاسِبُهhis means of earning
وَإِن كانَ مَحظوراً عَلَيهِ مَكاسِبُه
A sound intellect adorns a young man among people,
A lad is adorned among men by his reason
The soundness of his intellect adorns a man among men,
even if his means of earning are barred to him.
Though earnings in life have eluded this season
Even if he is denied the acquisition of wealth.
يَشينُmars الفَتىthe young man فيamong الناسِpeople قِلَّةُscantness of عَقلِهِhis intellect
يَشينُ الفَتى في الناسِ قِلَّةُ عَقلِهِ
وَإِنeven if كَرُمَتare noble أَعراقُهُhis ancestral roots وَمَناسِبُهand his lineage
وَإِن كَرُمَت أَعراقُهُ وَمَناسِبُه
A meager intellect mars a young man among people,
A lad is disgraced by his lacking of reason
But a scarcity of intellect brings shame upon a man,
even if his roots and lineage are noble.
Though his roots and kin are of fame and high treason
Even if his roots and lineage are of the noblest kind.
وَمَنand whoever كانَis غَلّاباًoften victorious بِعَقلٍthrough intellect وَنَجدَةٍand courage
وَمَن كانَ غَلّاباً بِعَقلٍ وَنَجدَةٍ
فَذوthen the possessor of الجَدِّgood fortune فيin أَمرِthe matter of المَعيشَةِlivelihood غالِبُهone who outdoes him
فَذو الجَدِّ في أَمرِ المَعيشَةِ غالِبُه
And whoever triumphs through intellect and courage
He who prevails with intellect and endeavor
And he who prevails through reason and valor,
is outdone in matters of livelihood by the man of good fortune.
In life's travails, is fortune's favored forever
Is yet vanquished by the one who holds luck in livelihood.
Sol 6.1