تَغَنّى لَنا فَجَعَلنا عَلَيهِ

تَغَنّى لَنا فَجَعَلنا عَلَيهِ

عَمائِمَ تَنزَعُ جِلدَ القَفا

عَمائِمَ تَنزَعُ جِلدَ القَفا

He sang for us, so we put upon him

Sing for us, so we placed upon him

turbans that stripped the skin from his nape.

Turbans that peel the skin off his skull.

جَعَلنا اللِطامَ لَهُ لُحمَةً

جَعَلنا اللِطامَ لَهُ لُحمَةً

وَنَتفُ الشَوارِبَ فيهِ سُدى

وَنَتفُ الشَوارِبَ فيهِ سُدى

We made slaps the weft for him,

We made the bit for him into flesh,

and mustache-plucking the warp therein.

And the mustache hairs are plucked out in vain.