تَسَلطَنَ بِالحَدباءِ عَبدٌ بِلُؤمِهِ

تَسَلطَنَ بِالحَدباءِ عَبدٌ بِلُؤمِهِ

بَصِيرٌ بَلى عَن نَيلِ مَكرُمَةٍ عَمِ

بَصِيرٌ بَلى عَن نَيلِ مَكرُمَةٍ عَمِ

A slave has become sultan in al-Hadba—his own baseness

A servant rules with ignorance, blinded in folly,

He sees clearly, yes, but is blind to attaining honor.

Yet somehow aware when seeking an honored gain,

إِذا أَيقَظَتهُ لَفظَةٌ عَرَبِيَّةٌ

إِذا أَيقَظَتهُ لَفظَةٌ عَرَبِيَّةٌ

إِلى المَجدِ قالَت أَرمَنِيَّتُهُ نَمِ

إِلى المَجدِ قالَت أَرمَنِيَّتُهُ نَمِ

If an Arabic word awakens him

When an Arabic phrase awakens him

To glory, his Armenian tongue says, 'Sleep.'

To glory, his Armenian soul says, sleep!