إِذا كُنتَ لا تَدري وَلَم تَكُ كَالَّذي

يُشاوِرُ مَن يَدري فَكَيفَ إِذاً تَدري

If you do not know and are not like one

Who consults one who knows, how then will you know?

جَهِلتَ فَلَم تَعْلَم بِأَنَّكَ جاهِلٌ

وَأَنَّكَ لا تَدري بِأَنَّكَ لا تَدري

You were ignorant and did not know that you are ignorant

And that you do not know that you do not know

وَمِن أَعظَمِ البَلوى بِأَنَّكَ جاهِلٌ

فَمَن لي بِأَن تَدري بِأَنَّكِ لا تَدري

And of the greatest afflictions is that you are ignorant

So who will make you know that you do not know?

رُبَّ اِمرِىءٍ يَجري وَيَدري بَأَنَّهُ

إِذا كانَ لا يَدري جَهولٌ بِما يَجري

Many a man goes about and knows that he

Is ignorant of what is going on if he does not know