لَستُ الوَضيعَ وَلا الصَغيرَ وَإِنَّما

لَستُ الوَضيعَ وَلا الصَغيرَ وَإِنَّما

أَنتَ الوَضيعُ عَنِ الوَضيعِ الأَصغَرِ

أَنتَ الوَضيعُ عَنِ الوَضيعِ الأَصغَرِ

I am neither lowly nor insignificant; rather,

I am neither lowly nor small; rather,

you are the lowly one—beneath even the least of the lowly.

you are the lowly one, smaller than the lowly.

لا تَفخَرَنَّ وَإِن غَدَوتَ مُقَدَّماً

لا تَفخَرَنَّ وَإِن غَدَوتَ مُقَدَّماً

فَعَلى جَبينِكَ سيمياءُ مُؤَخَّرِ

فَعَلى جَبينِكَ سيمياءُ مُؤَخَّرِ

Never boast, though you come to be placed first;

Do not boast, even if you have been advanced,

for upon your brow is the mark of one placed last.

for upon your brow is the mark of one left behind.