ولا أفرقُ غلّابا

ولا أفرقُ غلّابا

لأن سُمّيَ غلّابا

لأن سُمّيَ غلّابا

Nor do I fear Ghallab

I don't judge people

I do not fear Ghallab,

merely because he was named Ghallab.

Just because they're called thieves

Just because he was named Ghallab;

ولو كان مثيلٍ اللي

ولو كان مثيلٍ اللي

ثِ لم أرهب له نابا

ثِ لم أرهب له نابا

And even if he were the equal of the li-

Even if there were others like him

Even if he were the peer of the lion,

on, I would not fear his fang.

I wouldn't growl at them, bare my fangs

I would not dread a fang of his,

ولو يعطى صقيلَ الحدّ

ولو يعطى صقيلَ الحدّ

مثل الملح قِرضابا

مثل الملح قِرضابا

And even if he were given a polished-edged

Even if you gave them a sharpened blade

And were he given a polished edge,

keen-cutting sword, like salt,

As brittle as salt

As white as salt, a severing sword,

لقد ألبسه شِعري

لقد ألبسه شِعري

من الذلّةِ جلبابا

من الذلّةِ جلبابا

my poetry has indeed clothed him

I've dressed him in my poetry

My poetry has surely clothed him

in a cloak of humiliation.

With a cloak of disgrace

In a garment of humiliation,

وقد فوّهتُ فيه كلَّ

وقد فوّهتُ فيه كلَّ

مَن قالَ ومَن عابا

مَن قالَ ومَن عابا

And I have given voice against him to all

And I've unleashed against him

And I have made everyone speak of him,

who spoke and all who found fault.

All those who speak ill and find fault

Both he who talks and he who finds fault.