- English translation
Just say 'I don't know,' my soul, and you'll have peace.
- Literal wording
Saying 'I don't know' is your rest, O my soul.
- Meaning and lesson
The saying holds that openly admitting ignorance spares a person needless strain. Someone who says 'I don't know' avoids the burden of bluffing, defending guesses, or answering for claims they cannot back up.
Cast as words spoken to one's own soul, the line works as a private reminder: real ease comes from accepting the limits of what one knows instead of straining to produce an answer one does not have.
- When it is used
Suited to moments when a person admits they do not know something and feels the ease of no longer having to pretend otherwise. Because it is phrased as words spoken to one's own soul, it reads most naturally as self-counsel rather than advice aimed at others.
- Register
- Colloquial Arabic
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
Report an issue with this meaning: Just say 'I don't know,' my soul, and you'll have peace.