أَلاَ يا رُبَّمَا عَزَّ

أَلاَ يا رُبَّمَا عَزَّ

خَليلي فَتَهاونتُ

خَليلي فَتَهاونتُ

Ah, how often he grew haughty—

Oh how often my friend grew arrogant,

my friend—and I made light of it.

And I overlooked it out of gentleness,

ولَو شِئتُ عَلَى مَق

ولَو شِئتُ عَلَى مَق

دِرةٍ مِنَّي لَعاقبَتُ

دِرةٍ مِنَّي لَعاقبَتُ

And had I wished, with the power

Though if I wanted to punish him for it,

I possessed, I would have punished him.

I would be well within my rights,

ولَكِن سَرَّني أَن يَع

ولَكِن سَرَّني أَن يَع

لَمُوا قَدري فأَقلَعتُ

لَمُوا قَدري فأَقلَعتُ

But it pleased me that they should

But I was pleased that they might know,

know my worth, so I desisted.

My worth, and so I let it pass,

أَلاَ لا فاسأَلوُا الفِت

أَلاَ لا فاسأَلوُا الفِت

يَةَ ما قالُوا وقَد قُمتُ

يَةَ ما قالُوا وقَد قُمتُ

Ah, no! Then ask the young

Oh ask the young men what they said,

men what they said when I had risen.

When I stood and confronted them,

ولَكِنَّ حَبيبي جَلَّ

ولَكِنَّ حَبيبي جَلَّ

عِندي فَتغَافَلتُ

عِندي فَتغَافَلتُ

But my beloved stood high

But my beloved is too dear to me,

in my esteem, so I feigned not to notice.

So I turned a blind eye.