وَأَفضَلُ قَسمِ اللَّهِ لِلمَرءِ عَقلُهُ

وَأَفضَلُ قَسمِ اللَّهِ لِلمَرءِ عَقلُهُ

فلَيسَ مِنَ الخَيراتِ شَيءٌ يُقارِبُه

فلَيسَ مِنَ الخَيراتِ شَيءٌ يُقارِبُه

And the finest portion God allots a man is his intellect.

The best gift of God to a man is his reason,

For nothing among good things comes close to it.

For there is nothing among virtues that equals it.

إِذا أَكمَلَ الرَّحمنُ لِلمَرءِ عَقلَهُ

إِذا أَكمَلَ الرَّحمنُ لِلمَرءِ عَقلَهُ

فَقَد كَمُلَت أَخلاقُهُ وَضَرائِبُه

فَقَد كَمُلَت أَخلاقُهُ وَضَرائِبُه

If the Most Merciful perfects a man's intellect,

When the Merciful completes a man's reason,

then his character and dispositions have become perfect.

His morals and ways are perfected.

يَعيشُ الفَتَى بِالعَقلِ في الناسِ إنَّهُ

يَعيشُ الفَتَى بِالعَقلِ في الناسِ إنَّهُ

على العَقلِ يَجري عِلمُهُ وتَجارِبُه

على العَقلِ يَجري عِلمُهُ وتَجارِبُه

A young man lives among people by intellect; indeed,

The young man lives by reason among people,

his knowledge and experience are guided by intellect.

His knowledge and experience flow by reason.

وَمَن كانَ غَلاباً بِعَقلٍ وَنجدَةٍ

وَمَن كانَ غَلاباً بِعَقلٍ وَنجدَةٍ

فَذو الجَدِّ في أَمرِ المَعيشَةِ غَالِبُه

فَذو الجَدِّ في أَمرِ المَعيشَةِ غَالِبُه

And whoever prevails through intellect and courage,

Whoever prevails by reason and effort,

is outdone in matters of livelihood by a man of good fortune.

Prevails in the matter of livelihood.

يَزينُ الفَتَى في النَّاسِ صِحَّةُ عَقلِهِ

يَزينُ الفَتَى في النَّاسِ صِحَّةُ عَقلِهِ

وَإِن كانَ مَحظُوراً عَلَيهِ مَكاسِبُه

وَإِن كانَ مَحظُوراً عَلَيهِ مَكاسِبُه

Soundness of intellect adorns a young man among people,

Reason adorns a young man among people

even if his earnings are denied him.

Even if his acquisitions are denied to him.

ويُزرِي بِهِ في الناسِ قِلَّةُ عَقلِهِ

ويُزرِي بِهِ في الناسِ قِلَّةُ عَقلِهِ

وإِن كَرُمَت أَعراقُهُ وَمَناسِبُه

وإِن كَرُمَت أَعراقُهُ وَمَناسِبُه

And his lack of intellect diminishes him among people,

And the lack of reason demeans him among people

even if his ancestral roots and lineage are noble.

Even if his lineage and relations are noble.