أَلاَ إِنَّ اللِّسَانَ بَضْعَةٌ مِنَ الاْنْسَانِ، فَلاَ يُسْعِدُهُ الْقَوْلُ إِذَا امْتَنَعَ، وَلاَ يُمْهِلُهُ النُّطْقُ إِذَا اتَّسَعَ، وَإِنَّا لاَمَرَاءُ الْكَلاَمِ، وَفِينَا تَنَشَّبَتْ عُرُوقُهُ، وَعَلَيْنَا تَهَدَّلَتْ غُصوُنُهُ.
Know that the tongue is a part of a man’s body. If the man desists, speech will not co-operate with him and when he dilates, speech will not give him time to stop. Certainly, we are the masters of speaking. Its veins are fixed in us and its branches are hanging over us.