أَإِن تَدَرَّعتَ عِزّاً

أَإِن تَدَرَّعتَ عِزّاً

وَإِن تَرَدَّيتَ زَينا

وَإِن تَرَدَّيتَ زَينا

Is it because you have armored yourself in might,

Is it because you have donned honor as armor,

and wrapped yourself in splendor,

and cloaked yourself in splendor,

في رُتبَةٍ فَقَت فيها

في رُتبَةٍ فَقَت فيها

فَصِرتَ لِلمَجدِ عَينا

فَصِرتَ لِلمَجدِ عَينا

at a rank in which you excelled,

in a rank in which you excelled,

becoming glory’s very eye,

and become the very essence of glory,

نَقَصتَنا مِن دُعاءٍ

نَقَصتَنا مِن دُعاءٍ

إِذا كَتَبتَ إِلَينا

إِذا كَتَبتَ إِلَينا

that you gave us less of a blessing

that you offer us fewer blessings

whenever you wrote to us?

when you write to us?

فَإِن تَرَفَّعتَ أُخرى

فَإِن تَرَفَّعتَ أُخرى

إِذا فَعَلتَ عَلَينا

إِذا فَعَلتَ عَلَينا

Then, should you rise once more,

So if you rise another step,

why, you will surely have done us in.

then you would act against us.