يَقولُ أَنا الكَبيرُ فَبَجِّلوني

يَقولُ أَنا الكَبيرُ فَبَجِّلوني

أَلا هَبِلَتكَ أُمُّكَ مِن كَبيرِ

أَلا هَبِلَتكَ أُمُّكَ مِن كَبيرِ

He says, “I am the elder, so honor me.”

The elder says: I am great, so revere me!

Ah, may your mother be bereaved of you—what an elder!

But no, your mother was foolish about the great,

إِذا كانَ الصَغيرُ أَعَمَّ نَفعاً

إِذا كانَ الصَغيرُ أَعَمَّ نَفعاً

وَأَمضى في الحَوائِجِ وَالأُمورِ

وَأَمضى في الحَوائِجِ وَالأُمورِ

If the younger is of wider benefit,

For if the young is more beneficial in effect

And more effective in attending to needs and affairs,

And more decisive in needs and affairs,

وَأَنفَذَ في النَوائِبِ إِن أَلَمَّت

وَأَنفَذَ في النَوائِبِ إِن أَلَمَّت

فَما فَضلُ الكَبيرِ عَلى الصَغيرِ

فَما فَضلُ الكَبيرِ عَلى الصَغيرِ

And more resourceful in calamities, should they strike,

And more effective when calamities strike,

Then what advantage has the elder over the younger?

Then what virtue has the elder over the young?