وَأَفضَلُ قَسمِ اللَهِ لِلمَرءِ عَقلُهُ

وَأَفضَلُ قَسمِ اللَهِ لِلمَرءِ عَقلُهُ

فَلَيسَ مِنَ الخَيراتِ شَيءٌ يُقارِبُه

فَلَيسَ مِنَ الخَيراتِ شَيءٌ يُقارِبُه

The finest share God allots a person is his reason;

And the best share God grants a man is his intellect;

For among all good things, nothing comes near it.

For among blessings, nothing comes close to it.

فَزَينُ الفَتى في الناسِ صِحَّةُ عَقلِهِ

فَزَينُ الفَتى في الناسِ صِحَّةُ عَقلِهِ

وَإِن كانَ مَحظوراً عَلَيهِ مَكاسِبُه

وَإِن كانَ مَحظوراً عَلَيهِ مَكاسِبُه

A young man’s adornment among people is the soundness of his mind,

For a young man's adornment among people is the soundness of his intellect,

Even if his means of earning are barred to him.

Even if his earnings are denied him.

يَعيشُ الفَتى بِالعَقلِ في كُلِّ بَلدَةٍ

يَعيشُ الفَتى بِالعَقلِ في كُلِّ بَلدَةٍ

عَلى العَقلِ يَجري عِلمُهُ وَتَجارِبُه

عَلى العَقلِ يَجري عِلمُهُ وَتَجارِبُه

By reason the young man lives in every land;

A young man lives by his intellect in every town;

On reason depend his knowledge and his experience.

His knowledge and experiences are guided by intellect.

وَيُزري بِهِ في الناسِ قِلَّةُ عَقلِهِ

وَيُزري بِهِ في الناسِ قِلَّةُ عَقلِهِ

وَإِن كَرُمَت أَعراقُهُ وَمَناسِبُه

وَإِن كَرُمَت أَعراقُهُ وَمَناسِبُه

What diminishes him in people’s eyes is his lack of reason,

And his lack of intellect brings him disgrace among people,

Even though his roots and lineages may be noble.

Even if his roots and lineage are noble.

إِذا أَكمَلَ الرَحمانُ لِلمَرءِ عَقلَهُ

إِذا أَكمَلَ الرَحمانُ لِلمَرءِ عَقلَهُ

فَقَد كَمُلَت أَخلاقُهُ وَمَآرِبُه

فَقَد كَمُلَت أَخلاقُهُ وَمَآرِبُه

When the All-Merciful perfects a person’s reason,

When the Most Merciful perfects a man's intellect,

Then his character and his aims have attained perfection.

Then his character and his aims are complete.