لي من أبي عبد الإلهِ امرؤٌ

لي من أبي عبد الإلهِ امرؤٌ

أحكمتِ الآدابُ ألفاظَهُ

أحكمتِ الآدابُ ألفاظَهُ

I have in Abu Abd al-Ilah a man

I have from my father Abdel Ilah a man

whose words learning has perfected.

Whose eloquence is perfected

فللمُصافي منه ما سَرَّهُ

فللمُصافي منه ما سَرَّهُ

وللمداجي منه ما غاظَه

وللمداجي منه ما غاظَه

So from him the sincere friend receives what delights him,

So for those of pure hearts there is in him what delights them

and the dissembler receives from him what enrages him.

And for sycophants there is in him what angers them

مُوقِظُ طَرْف الرأي في حيث لا

مُوقِظُ طَرْف الرأي في حيث لا

يَسطيعُ أهلُ الرأي إِيقاظَه

يَسطيعُ أهلُ الرأي إِيقاظَه

He awakens the eye of judgment where no

Awakening the eye of reason where

men of judgment can awaken it.

The people of reason cannot awaken it

تُلاحظُ الحكمةَ مجموعةً

تُلاحظُ الحكمةَ مجموعةً

فيه إذا لاحظتَ ألفاظه

فيه إذا لاحظتَ ألفاظه

You perceive wisdom gathered together

You observe wisdom gathered

in him when you consider his words.

In him when you observe his words