لا تعذِلوهُ بكى فحقَّ لهُ

لا تعذِلوهُ بكى فحقَّ لهُ

شوقاً إلى إلفهِ وقلَّ لهُ

شوقاً إلى إلفهِ وقلَّ لهُ

Do not reproach him: he wept, and rightly so,

Reproach him not, he wept for he had right

longing for his beloved—and even that was too little.

To long for the beloved he once knew

يا قلبَهُ كيفَ ذابَ من كمدٍ

يا قلبَهُ كيفَ ذابَ من كمدٍ

إلى الذي لو يشاءُ علَّلهُ

إلى الذي لو يشاءُ علَّلهُ

O his heart, how it melted from anguish

O his heart, how it melted with yearning

for the one who, if he wished, would soothe it.

For one who, if he wished, could heal

الداءُ من هزةٍ بعطفتهِ

الداءُ من هزةٍ بعطفتهِ

عليه بالصدِّ والدواءُ لهُ

عليه بالصدِّ والدواءُ لهُ

The sickness comes from a sway as he turns

The sickness that his turning away brought

against him in rejection; yet the cure is his.

The cure for him was kindness, yet he met

يا غُصناً منهُ كان ذا خضلٍ

يا غُصناً منهُ كان ذا خضلٍ

جفاهُ من سلهُ فأذبلهُ

جفاهُ من سلهُ فأذبلهُ

O branch of him, once fresh and moist,

Only harshness. O branch once green

the one who plucked it forsook it and made it wither.

When tended by the gardener - abandoned, withered.