حقيقٌ أنْ يُصاخَ لكَ استِماعا

حقيقٌ أنْ يُصاخَ لكَ استِماعا

وأنْ يَعصى العَذولُ وأَن تُطاعا

وأنْ يَعصى العَذولُ وأَن تُطاعا

It is fitting that you be listened to attentively,

It is right for you to be listened to attentively

And that the reproacher be disobeyed and you obeyed.

And for the evasive one to be disobeyed, and you obeyed

متى تكشفْ قناعَكَ للتَّصابي

متى تكشفْ قناعَكَ للتَّصابي

فقد نادَيتَ مَن كشفَ القِناعا

فقد نادَيتَ مَن كشفَ القِناعا

Whenever you lift your veil for youthful dalliance,

When you unveil your mask to intimates

Then you have called to one who has lifted the veil.

You have called one who unveiled the mask

متى يمشِ الصَّديقُ إليَّ فِتْراً

متى يمشِ الصَّديقُ إليَّ فِتْراً

مشَيتُ إليهِ من كرمٍ ذِراعا

مشَيتُ إليهِ من كرمٍ ذِراعا

Whenever a friend walks a thumb-to-forefinger span toward me,

When a friend walks to me with coolness

I walk a cubit toward him out of generosity.

I walk to him generously an arm's length

فجدِّدْ عهدَ لهوِكَ حينَ يَبْلى

فجدِّدْ عهدَ لهوِكَ حينَ يَبْلى

ولا تُذْهبْ بشاشَتَه ضَياعا

ولا تُذْهبْ بشاشَتَه ضَياعا

So renew your bond with pleasure when it wears thin,

So renew your pledge to him when it fades

And do not let its cheerfulness go to waste.

And do not let his joy go to waste