لذَّ لي شوقي وتوقي يا أخي

لذَّ لي شوقي وتوقي يا أخي

وضجيجٌ غاظني زال وغيّ

وضجيجٌ غاظني زال وغيّ

My longing and yearning were sweet to me, O my brother.

My longing and yearning brought me delight, my friend,

And the clamor that angered me ceased, as did waywardness.

And the din that troubled me is now gone.

لائمي في حبِّ ظبيٍ مبرزٍ

لائمي في حبِّ ظبيٍ مبرزٍ

خير نطق لا مني لا تم حيّ

خير نطق لا مني لا تم حيّ

My censurer for loving an outstanding gazelle—

My censurers blame me for loving a radiant gazelle,

The finest speech—not from me; may no living being be complete.

But better speech than mine cannot revive the dead.

حيث لا يعشق لا يغوى شجٍ

حيث لا يعشق لا يغوى شجٍ

خسَّ لاحٍ لا يوقي فهو عيّ

خسَّ لاحٍ لا يوقي فهو عيّ

Where one does not love, no grief-stricken man goes astray.

Where there is no love, no temptation, only a withered branch,

Base is the censurer who does not protect, for he is inarticulate.

That cannot yearn, it is but a lifeless stump.

كل ذلٍّ هزني من مونسي

كل ذلٍّ هزني من مونسي

لذَّ لي لا رُدَّ ذلٌّ من رُشيّ

لذَّ لي لا رُدَّ ذلٌّ من رُشيّ

Every humiliation from my comforting companion that stirred me

All this shook me from my companion;

Was sweet to me; may no humiliation from a little gazelle be rejected.

My delight - there is no repealing that from my narrative.

كل مفضول غليظ لامني

كل مفضول غليظ لامني

فيه نطعٌ صلفٌ قط عميّ

فيه نطعٌ صلفٌ قط عميّ

Every inferior, coarse man who reproached me—

Every rough outcast who blamed me

In him is an arrogant boor—a blind cat.

Is stubborn, rude, never gentle, always blind.