إِذا كُنتَ لا تَدري وَلَم تَكُ كَالَّذي

إِذا كُنتَ لا تَدري وَلَم تَكُ كَالَّذي

يُشاوِرُ مَن يَدري فَكَيفَ إِذاً تَدري

يُشاوِرُ مَن يَدري فَكَيفَ إِذاً تَدري

If you do not know and are not like one

If you do not know and are not like one

who consults someone who knows, how, then, will you know?

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

جَهِلتَ فَلَم تَعْلَم بِأَنَّكَ جاهِلٌ

جَهِلتَ فَلَم تَعْلَم بِأَنَّكَ جاهِلٌ

وَأَنَّكَ لا تَدري بِأَنَّكَ لا تَدري

وَأَنَّكَ لا تَدري بِأَنَّكَ لا تَدري

You were ignorant and did not know that you were ignorant,

You were ignorant and did not know that you are ignorant

and that you do not know that you do not know.

And that you do not know that you do not know

وَمِن أَعظَمِ البَلوى بِأَنَّكَ جاهِلٌ

وَمِن أَعظَمِ البَلوى بِأَنَّكَ جاهِلٌ

فَمَن لي بِأَن تَدري بِأَنَّكِ لا تَدري

فَمَن لي بِأَن تَدري بِأَنَّكِ لا تَدري

And among the greatest afflictions is that you are ignorant—

And of the greatest afflictions is that you are ignorant

so who can assure me that you know that you do not know?

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

رُبَّ اِمرِىءٍ يَجري وَيَدري بَأَنَّهُ

رُبَّ اِمرِىءٍ يَجري وَيَدري بَأَنَّهُ

إِذا كانَ لا يَدري جَهولٌ بِما يَجري

إِذا كانَ لا يَدري جَهولٌ بِما يَجري

Many a man runs and knows that he,

Many a man goes about and knows that he

if he does not know, is deeply ignorant of what goes on.

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