ما زِلتَ تَلقاهُ فَضاقَ صَدرُهُ

ما زِلتَ تَلقاهُ فَضاقَ صَدرُهُ

وَعادَ مِن بَعدِ الوِصالِ هَجرُهُ

وَعادَ مِن بَعدِ الوِصالِ هَجرُهُ

You kept on seeing him, and his heart grew vexed;

You kept visiting him, so his breast grew tight.

After intimacy, his estrangement returned.

And after closeness, his estrangement returned.

مَن أَكثَرَ الغِشيانَ خَسَّ قَدرُهُ

مَن أَكثَرَ الغِشيانَ خَسَّ قَدرُهُ

لَو كُثِرَ الياقوتُ هانَ أَمرُهُ

لَو كُثِرَ الياقوتُ هانَ أَمرُهُ

Whoever visits too often finds his worth diminished.

Whoever visits too often falls in esteem.

Were rubies plentiful, their value would fall;

If rubies were plentiful, their worth would fall.

وَلَم يَعِزَّ حُمرُهُ وَصُفرُهُ

وَلَم يَعِزَّ حُمرُهُ وَصُفرُهُ

وَلا عَلا بَينَ الأَنامِ ذِكرُهُ

وَلا عَلا بَينَ الأَنامِ ذِكرُهُ

Their red and yellow varieties would no longer be precious,

And their red and yellow varieties would not be prized,

Nor would their renown rise among humankind.

Nor would their renown rise among humankind.