الجهلُ أَروَحُ للفتى من عقلِه

الجهلُ أَروَحُ للفتى من عقلِه

يُمسي ويصبحُ آمِناً مسرورا

يُمسي ويصبحُ آمِناً مسرورا

Ignorance brings a young man more ease than his reason.

Ignorance is more comforting to the young man than his intellect

He passes evening and morning safe and happy.

He goes to bed and wakes up feeling safe and content

تَرَك العَواقبَ جانباً عن فكرِه

تَرَك العَواقبَ جانباً عن فكرِه

وسَعى رَواحاً في الهوى وبكُورا

وسَعى رَواحاً في الهوى وبكُورا

He has put consequences out of his mind,

He has cast aside consequences from his thoughts

And pursued desire, evening and early morning.

And wandered freely in passion and daybreak

والعقلُ يعقِلهُ على حَسَراته

والعقلُ يعقِلهُ على حَسَراته

ويَصُدُّ فيرُدّه مَحسورا

ويَصُدُّ فيرُدّه مَحسورا

And reason binds him to his regrets,

While intellect makes him regretful

And restrains him, turning him back exhausted.

And holds him back, leaving him confounded

وتراه مهتماً كثيراً غَمُّه

وتراه مهتماً كثيراً غَمُّه

يَحيا أسيراً أو يموتُ فقيرا

يَحيا أسيراً أو يموتُ فقيرا

And you see him worried, his sorrow great:

You see him very worried, his sorrow heavy

He lives a captive or dies poor.

He lives captive or dies destitute

لَمّا علا الجُهّالُ في أيامنا

لَمّا علا الجُهّالُ في أيامنا

ورَقَوا ونالُوا مَنزِلاً وسريرا

ورَقَوا ونالُوا مَنزِلاً وسريرا

When the ignorant rose high in our days,

When ignorance rose high in our time

And ascended, attaining rank and a throne,

And the foolish progressed, obtaining status and thrones

أخفيتُ عِلمي واطّرحتُ فضائلي

أخفيتُ عِلمي واطّرحتُ فضائلي

عَلِّي أكونُ إذا جَهِلتُ أميرا

عَلِّي أكونُ إذا جَهِلتُ أميرا

I concealed my knowledge and cast aside my virtues:

I concealed my knowledge and discarded my merits

Perhaps, if I become ignorant, I shall become an emir.

So that if I were ignorant, I would become a prince