يا لَيتَني كُنتُ أَغبى الناسِ كُلُّهُم

يا لَيتَني كُنتُ أَغبى الناسِ كُلُّهُم

وَكُنتُ باقلَ في حالي وَأَقوالي

وَكُنتُ باقلَ في حالي وَأَقوالي

If only I were the most foolish of all people,

Oh, if only I were the stupidest of all people,

and were like ʿĀqil in my bearing and my words;

And were Baqil in my ways and my words,

وَإِنَّ خالي فَهمي أَو حُسَينَ أَخي

وَإِنَّ خالي فَهمي أَو حُسَينَ أَخي

وَإِن عَمى فُؤاداً أَو أَبى غالي

وَإِن عَمى فُؤاداً أَو أَبى غالي

while Fahmi is indeed my maternal uncle—or Husayn my brother—

And Fahmi were my maternal uncle, or Hussein my brother,

and Fuʾad my paternal uncle—or Ghali my father;

And Fuad my paternal uncle, or Ghali my father;

وَلَم أَكُن أَنا فِيَّ عِلمي وَفي أَدَبي

وَلَم أَكُن أَنا فِيَّ عِلمي وَفي أَدَبي

مَن أَحسَنَ الناسِ في ماضٍ وَفي حالِ

مَن أَحسَنَ الناسِ في ماضٍ وَفي حالِ

and I, in my learning and my letters, were not

And I were not, in my learning and my literary skill,

among the finest of people, in times past and present;

Among the best of people, in past or present;

وَلا شَمَخَت بِأَنفي في المَلا عِظماً

وَلا شَمَخَت بِأَنفي في المَلا عِظماً

وَلَم أَكُن في زَماني شاعِرَ الوالي

وَلَم أَكُن في زَماني شاعِرَ الوالي

nor held my nose high amid the gathering, out of pride,

Nor had I held my nose high before the assembly out of pride,

nor were, in my own time, the governor’s poet.

And were not, in my time, the governor's poet.