تَحَبَّب فَإِنَّ الحُبَّ اعِيَةُ الحُبِّ

تَحَبَّب فَإِنَّ الحُبَّ اعِيَةُ الحُبِّ

وَكَم مِن بَعيدِ الدارِ مُستَوجِبُ القُربِ

وَكَم مِن بَعيدِ الدارِ مُستَوجِبُ القُربِ

Endear yourself, for love is [a summons to] love.

Befriend, for friendship is the path to love,

And many a one whose home is distant deserves closeness.

And many a distant one deserves closeness.

تَبَصَّر فَإِن حُدِّثتَ أَنَّ أَخا هَوىً

تَبَصَّر فَإِن حُدِّثتَ أَنَّ أَخا هَوىً

نَجا سالِماً فارِجُ النَجاةِ مِنَ الحُبِّ

نَجا سالِماً فارِجُ النَجاةِ مِنَ الحُبِّ

Consider carefully, for if you are told that a lover

Be perceptive, for if you hear that a loved one

has escaped unharmed, then hope for deliverance from love.

Emerged unharmed, escape from love.

وَأَطيَبَ أَيّامَ الفَتى يَومَهُ الَّذي

وَأَطيَبَ أَيّامَ الفَتى يَومَهُ الَّذي

يُرَوَّعُ بِالهِجرانِ فيهِ وَبِالعَتبِ

يُرَوَّعُ بِالهِجرانِ فيهِ وَبِالعَتبِ

And the sweetest of a young man's days is the day on which

The finest days for a young man are those

he is alarmed by estrangement and by reproach.

Terrified by estrangement and rebuke in it.

إِذا لَم يَكُن في الحُبِّ سَخطٌ وَلا رِضى

إِذا لَم يَكُن في الحُبِّ سَخطٌ وَلا رِضى

فَأَينَ حَلاواتُ الرَسائِلِ وَالكُتبِ

فَأَينَ حَلاواتُ الرَسائِلِ وَالكُتبِ

If there is neither displeasure nor contentment in love,

If there is no anger or pleasure in love,

where, then, are the sweet delights of messages and letters?

Then where are the sweet letters and books?