أَمدعياًO you who claim علماًknowledge وَلَستَyet you are not بقارئٍa reader
أَمدعياً علماً وَلَستَ بقارئٍ
كِتاباًa book عَلىunder شَيخٍa master بِهِthrough whom يَسهُلُbecomes easy الحَزنُrough ground
كِتاباً عَلى شَيخٍ بِهِ يَسهُلُ الحَزنُ
O you who claim knowledge, yet do not read
a book under a master, through whom rough ground becomes easy!
أَتَزعُمdo you claim أَنَّthat الذهنthe mind يُوضِحُclarifies مشكلاًa difficulty
أَتَزعُم أَنَّ الذهن يُوضِحُ مشكلاً
بِلاwithout موضحsomeone who explains كَلاno indeed لَقَدindeed كَذَبَhas lied الذِهنُthe mind
بِلا موضح كَلا لَقَد كَذَبَ الذِهنُ
Do you claim that the mind clarifies a difficulty
without someone to explain? No indeed—the mind has lied.
وَإِنَّand indeed الَّذيthat which تَبغيهyou seek it دونَwithout مُعَلِّمٍa teacher
وَإِنَّ الَّذي تَبغيه دونَ مُعَلِّمٍ
كَموقِدِlike one who lights مصباحٍa lamp وَلَيسَand there is no لَهُfor him دُهنُoil
كَموقِدِ مصباحٍ وَلَيسَ لَهُ دُهنُ
And indeed, what you seek without a teacher
is like someone lighting a lamp when he has no oil.