He said, "O son of my mother, do not grab me by my beard nor by my head. I feared that you would say that I separated between the Children of Israel, and that I did not follow your orders."
Translation endnotes
[20:83-98] Aaron is criticized for being a passive bystander here. However, the Biblical version of the story puts Aaron in the rank of idolaters. See Old Testament, Exodus 32:2.