كُن جاهِلاً أَو فَتَجاهَل تَفُز

كُن جاهِلاً أَو فَتَجاهَل تَفُز

لِلجَهلِ في ذا الدَهرِ جاهٌ عَريضُ

لِلجَهلِ في ذا الدَهرِ جاهٌ عَريضُ

Be ignorant, or feign ignorance, and you will succeed.

Be ignorant or feign ignorance, you’ll succeed

In this age, ignorance enjoys great prestige.

Ignorance in this world has great renown

وَالفَضلُ مَحرومٌ يَرى ما يَرى

وَالفَضلُ مَحرومٌ يَرى ما يَرى

كَما يَرى الوارِثُ عَينَ المَريض

كَما يَرى الوارِثُ عَينَ المَريض

And merit goes unrewarded, seeing what it sees,

While virtue is deprived, seeing what it sees

as the heir watches the sick person's eye.

As an heir views the eyes of one about to drown