أَمدعياًO you who claim علماًknowledge وَلَستَand you are not بقارئٍa reader
أَمدعياً علماً وَلَستَ بقارئٍ
كِتاباًa book عَلىunder شَيخٍa learned teacher بِهِthrough him يَسهُلُbecomes easy الحَزنُthe rugged ground
كِتاباً عَلى شَيخٍ بِهِ يَسهُلُ الحَزنُ
Do you claim to possess knowledge, though you have not read
O you who claim knowledge, yet do not read
a book under a shaykh, through whom the difficult becomes easy?
a book under a teacher through whom rough ground becomes smooth!
أَتَزعُمdo you claim أَنَّthat الذهنthe mind يُوضِحُclarifies مشكلاًa difficult matter
أَتَزعُم أَنَّ الذهن يُوضِحُ مشكلاً
بِلاwithout موضحan explainer كَلاno indeed لَقَدindeed كَذَبَhas lied الذِهنُthe mind
بِلا موضح كَلا لَقَد كَذَبَ الذِهنُ
Do you suppose the mind can elucidate a difficult problem
Do you claim that the mind can clarify a difficult matter
without someone to explain it? No—the mind has surely lied.
without someone to explain it? No! The mind has indeed lied.
وَإِنَّand indeed الَّذيwhat تَبغيهyou seek it دونَwithout مُعَلِّمٍa teacher
وَإِنَّ الَّذي تَبغيه دونَ مُعَلِّمٍ
كَموقِدِlike one lighting مصباحٍa lamp وَلَيسَand there is not لَهُfor him دُهنُoil
كَموقِدِ مصباحٍ وَلَيسَ لَهُ دُهنُ
Indeed, what you seek without a teacher
And indeed, what you seek without a teacher
is like one kindling a lamp when he has no oil.
is like one who lights a lamp, yet has no oil.
