يَظُنُّ الغمرُ أَنَّ الكُتبَ تجدي

يَظُنُّ الغمرُ أَنَّ الكُتبَ تجدي

أَخا ذِهنٍ لإِدراكِ العُلومِ

أَخا ذِهنٍ لإِدراكِ العُلومِ

The novice thinks that books will suffice

The inexperienced man thinks that books can help

for a man of intellect to attain the sciences.

a man of intellect to grasp the sciences.

وَما يَدري الجَهولُ بِأَنَّ فيها

وَما يَدري الجَهولُ بِأَنَّ فيها

غَوامِضَ حَيَّرت عَقلَ الحَليمِ

غَوامِضَ حَيَّرت عَقلَ الحَليمِ

Yet the ignoramus does not know that in them lie

Yet the ignorant man does not know that they contain

obscurities that have bewildered the mind of the wise.

obscurities that have bewildered the mind of the judicious man.

إِذا رُمتَ العُلومَ بِغَيرِ شَيخٍ

إِذا رُمتَ العُلومَ بِغَيرِ شَيخٍ

ضَلَلتَ عَن الصراطِ المُستَقيمِ

ضَلَلتَ عَن الصراطِ المُستَقيمِ

If you seek the sciences without a learned master,

If you seek the sciences without a teacher,

you will stray from the straight path;

you will stray from the straight path,

وَتلتَبِسُ الأُمورُ عَلَيكَ حَتّى

وَتلتَبِسُ الأُمورُ عَلَيكَ حَتّى

تَصيرَ أَضلَّ من تُوما الحَكيمِ

تَصيرَ أَضلَّ من تُوما الحَكيمِ

and matters will become confused for you, until

and matters will become confused for you until

you are more misguided than Thomas the Sage.

you become more astray than Tuma the sage.