إِنّي نَظَرتُ وَلا صَوابَ لِعاقِلٍ

إِنّي نَظَرتُ وَلا صَوابَ لِعاقِلٍ

فيما يَهُمُّ بِهِ إِذا لَم يَنظُرِ

فيما يَهُمُّ بِهِ إِذا لَم يَنظُرِ

I have considered it; no sensible man judges rightly

I saw there's no wisdom for one whose care

in what he intends to do unless he considers it.

Is with what doesn't concern when he's unaware.

فَإِذا كِتابُكَ قَد تُخيِّر خَطُّهُ

فَإِذا كِتابُكَ قَد تُخيِّر خَطُّهُ

وَإِذا كِتابي لَيسَ بِالمُتَخَيَّرِ

وَإِذا كِتابي لَيسَ بِالمُتَخَيَّرِ

So I found your book's script chosen with care,

Your book's script is so refined and fair,

while my book was not of such choice quality.

While mine's not one that's so debonair.

وَإِذا رُسومٌ في كِتابِكَ لَم تَدَع

وَإِذا رُسومٌ في كِتابِكَ لَم تَدَع

شَكّاً لِمُعتَنِف وَلا لِمُفَكِّرِ

شَكّاً لِمُعتَنِف وَلا لِمُفَكِّرِ

And in your book I found markings that left

Your book has illustrations leaving no doubt

no doubt for a beginner or a thinker.

For any contemplator having second thought.

نُقَطٌ وَأَشكالٌ تَبينُ كَأَنَّها

نُقَطٌ وَأَشكالٌ تَبينُ كَأَنَّها

نَدبَ الخُدوشِ تَلوحُ بَينَ الأسطُرِ

نَدبَ الخُدوشِ تَلوحُ بَينَ الأسطُرِ

Dots and vowel marks stand out, as though they were

Dots and shapes make clear like gashes scattered about

scars from scratches, gleaming between the lines.

Between the lines guiding verbs raised up or down no doubt.

تُنبيكَ عَن رَفعِ الكَلامِ وَخَفضِهِ

تُنبيكَ عَن رَفعِ الكَلامِ وَخَفضِهِ

وَالنَّصب مِنهُ لِحالِهِ أَو مَصدَرِ

وَالنَّصب مِنهُ لِحالِهِ أَو مَصدَرِ

They tell you the nominative and genitive inflections of words,

Showing noun's case by state or object's role

and their accusative, for a circumstantial expression or a verbal noun.

And making clear what's far as what's extolled.

وَتُريكَ ما يُعيا بِهِ فِبَعيدُهُ

وَتُريكَ ما يُعيا بِهِ فِبَعيدُهُ

كَقَريبه وَمُقَدَّم كَمُؤَخَّرِ

كَقَريبه وَمُقَدَّم كَمُؤَخَّرِ

And they show you what baffles, so its distant parts

While my brother's book lacks all of these, I'm told,

are like its near ones, and what comes first like what comes last.

A shame for seller and buyer, poor and old!

وَإِذا كِتابُ أَخيكَ مِن ذا كُلِّه

وَإِذا كِتابُ أَخيكَ مِن ذا كُلِّه

عار فَبِئسَ لِبايِعٍ وَلِمُشتَري

عار فَبِئسَ لِبايِعٍ وَلِمُشتَري

And your brother's book, of all these things,

Take your brother's book, don't compete or compare,

is bare—a sorry thing for seller and buyer.

Excuse yours, and leave it bare.

فَاِقبِض كِتابَ أَخيكَ غَير مُنافِس

فَاِقبِض كِتابَ أَخيكَ غَير مُنافِس

فيهِ وَخَلِّ لَهُ كِتابَكَ وَاِعذُرِ

فيهِ وَخَلِّ لَهُ كِتابَكَ وَاِعذُرِ

So take your brother's book, without coveting

Know you'll stay behind in your wisdom and care

it, and leave him your book, and be forgiving.

Until you break, tear up and declare.

وَاِعلم بِأَنَّكَ لا تَزالُ مُؤَخّرا

وَاِعلم بِأَنَّكَ لا تَزالُ مُؤَخّرا

مُستَأخِرا في العِلمِ ما لِم تَكسِرِ

مُستَأخِرا في العِلمِ ما لِم تَكسِرِ

And know that you will remain held back,

I see you've barred hearing and sharing

lagging behind in learning, so long as you do not break it up.

What you partook in and tore the pairing!

إِنّي أَرى حَبسَ السَّماعِ عَلى الَّذي

إِنّي أَرى حَبسَ السَّماعِ عَلى الَّذي

شارَكتَهُ فيهِ وَكَسر الدَّفتَرِ

شارَكتَهُ فيهِ وَكَسر الدَّفتَرِ

I favor reserving what was heard for the one

with whom you shared it, and breaking up the notebook.