نِعْمَ المُعِيْنُ عَلَى الآدَابِ وَالحِكَمِ

نِعْمَ المُعِيْنُ عَلَى الآدَابِ وَالحِكَمِ

صَحَائِفٌ حُلُكُ الأَلْوَانِ كَالظُّلَمِ

صَحَائِفٌ حُلُكُ الأَلْوَانِ كَالظُّلَمِ

What an excellent aid to literature and maxims:

A great aid for manners and wisdom

pages, black in hue as darkness.

Pages of varied hues like the darkness

لاَ تَسْتَمِدُّ مِدَادَاً غَيْرَ صِبْغَتِهَا

لاَ تَسْتَمِدُّ مِدَادَاً غَيْرَ صِبْغَتِهَا

فَسِرُّ ذِي الَّلبِّ فِيْهَا جِدُّ مُكْتَتَمِ

فَسِرُّ ذِي الَّلبِّ فِيْهَا جِدُّ مُكْتَتَمِ

They draw no ink other than their own pigment,

They draw no ink but their own dye

so the wise person's secret is deeply concealed within them.

The secret of the heartfelt is locked within

خَفَّتْ وَجَفَّتْ فَلَمْ يَدْنَسْ لِحَامِلِهَا

خَفَّتْ وَجَفَّتْ فَلَمْ يَدْنَسْ لِحَامِلِهَا

ثَوْبٌ وَلَمْ يَخْشَ فِيْهَا نَبْوَةَ القَلَمِ

ثَوْبٌ وَلَمْ يَخْشَ فِيْهَا نَبْوَةَ القَلَمِ

They were light and dry, so they left unstained their bearer's

Light yet tough, unsullied by their holder

garment; nor did he fear the pen's skipping on them.

A robe unmarred by flaws of the pen

وَأَمْكَنَ الْمَحْوُ فِيْهَا الكَفَّ فَاتَّسَعَتْ

وَأَمْكَنَ الْمَحْوُ فِيْهَا الكَفَّ فَاتَّسَعَتْ

لِمَا تَضَمَّنُ مِنْ نَثْرٍ وَمُنْتَظِمِ

لِمَا تَضَمَّنُ مِنْ نَثْرٍ وَمُنْتَظِمِ

And erasure on them was within the hand's power, so they had room

Erasing possible by palm so they expanded

for whatever they contain of prose and metrical verse.

For the prose and verse contained herein

حَلَّيْتُهَا بِلُجَيْنٍ وَانْتَخَبْتُ لَهَا

حَلَّيْتُهَا بِلُجَيْنٍ وَانْتَخَبْتُ لَهَا

وِقَايَةً مِنْ ذَكِيِّ العُودِ لاَ الأَدَمِ

وِقَايَةً مِنْ ذَكِيِّ العُودِ لاَ الأَدَمِ

I adorned them with silver and selected for them

Adorned with aloeswood, I picked for them

a protective cover of fragrant wood, not leather.

Protection from the witty, not the clumsy

فَالْكُمُّ يَعْبَقُ مِنْهَا حِيْنَ تُودِعُهُ

فَالْكُمُّ يَعْبَقُ مِنْهَا حِيْنَ تُودِعُهُ

عَرْفَاً تَنَسَّمُ فِيْهَا أَطْيَبَ النَّسَمِ

عَرْفَاً تَنَسَّمُ فِيْهَا أَطْيَبَ النَّسَمِ

So the sleeve grows fragrant from them when you place them in it,

So musk scents them when you entrust

with fragrance; through them you inhale the sweetest breezes.

A fragrance you inhale, the sweetest breeze

لَوْ كُنَّ أَلْوَاحَ مُوسَى يَوْمَ يُغْضِبُهُ

لَوْ كُنَّ أَلْوَاحَ مُوسَى يَوْمَ يُغْضِبُهُ

هَارُونُ لَمْ يُلْقِهَا خَوْفَاً مِنَ النَّدَمِ

هَارُونُ لَمْ يُلْقِهَا خَوْفَاً مِنَ النَّدَمِ

Had they been Moses's tablets on the day he was angered

If Moses’ tablets, when Aaron angers him

by Aaron, he would not have cast them down, for fear of regret.

He would not have thrown them, fearing regret