وَأَفضَلُ قَسمِ اللَهِ لِلمَرءِ عَقلُهُ

فَلَيسَ مِنَ الخَيراتِ شَيءٌ يُقارِبُه

The finest share God allots a person is his reason;

For among all good things, nothing comes near it.

فَزَينُ الفَتى في الناسِ صِحَّةُ عَقلِهِ

وَإِن كانَ مَحظوراً عَلَيهِ مَكاسِبُه

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

Even if his means of earning are barred to him.

يَعيشُ الفَتى بِالعَقلِ في كُلِّ بَلدَةٍ

عَلى العَقلِ يَجري عِلمُهُ وَتَجارِبُه

By reason the young man lives in every land;

On reason depend his knowledge and his experience.

وَيُزري بِهِ في الناسِ قِلَّةُ عَقلِهِ

وَإِن كَرُمَت أَعراقُهُ وَمَناسِبُه

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

Even though his roots and lineages may be noble.

إِذا أَكمَلَ الرَحمانُ لِلمَرءِ عَقلَهُ

فَقَد كَمُلَت أَخلاقُهُ وَمَآرِبُه

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

Then his character and his aims have attained perfection.