أصابت علة الأعصاب يوماً

أصابت علة الأعصاب يوماً

فتاة حيرت عقل الرشيدِ

فتاة حيرت عقل الرشيدِ

One day a nervous illness struck

One day a nervous ailment afflicted

A girl whose case confounded the wise man's mind.

a girl, bewildering the mind of the wise.

وعالجها طبيب مستبدٌّ

وعالجها طبيب مستبدٌّ

عبوس الوجه يأتي بالوعيد

عبوس الوجه يأتي بالوعيد

A domineering doctor treated her,

And a domineering physician treated her,

His face morose, his words all threats.

grim-faced, coming with threats.

فلم تنل الشفاء على يديه

فلم تنل الشفاء على يديه

فزاد الوهم بالقلب الكميد

فزاد الوهم بالقلب الكميد

But at his hands she found no cure,

But she found no cure at his hands,

And delusion grew within her anguished heart.

so apprehension grew in her grief-stricken heart.

وعادتها عجوز ثم قالت

وعادتها عجوز ثم قالت

أفيقي ليس برؤك بالبعيد

أفيقي ليس برؤك بالبعيد

An old woman visited her, then said,

And an old woman visited her, then said:

“Awake! Your recovery is not far away.

‘Rouse yourself; your recovery is not far off.

وأعرف شيخة سَمَتِ اشتهاراً

وأعرف شيخة سَمَتِ اشتهاراً

بإخراج المريدة والمريد

بإخراج المريدة والمريد

I know a sheikhah who has risen to fame

And I know a sheikha who has risen to fame

For exorcising women and men alike.”

for casting out female and male demons.’

فنادتها خذي مالاً كثيراً

فنادتها خذي مالاً كثيراً

لها وبها إليَّ الآن عودي

لها وبها إليَّ الآن عودي

She called to her: “Take plenty of money

So she called to her: ‘Take a large sum of money

To her, and bring her back to me at once.”

for her, and return to me with her now.’

وجاءتها بشيختها فحيت

وجاءتها بشيختها فحيت

تحية ذات ميثاق أكيد

تحية ذات ميثاق أكيد

The woman came to her with her sheikhah, and she offered

And she came to her with her sheikha, who offered

A greeting that sealed a solemn pact.

a greeting bearing a firm pledge.

وقالت ليس داؤك غير مسٍّ

وقالت ليس داؤك غير مسٍّ

من الشيطان تدبير الحسود

من الشيطان تدبير الحسود

She said, “Your illness is nothing but possession

And she said: ‘Your ailment is nothing but a touch

By Satan, contrived by someone envious.

from Satan, the work of an envious person.

وقد وضع الكتابة في جراب

وقد وضع الكتابة في جراب

وألقاه ببئر في الصعيد

وألقاه ببئر في الصعيد

He placed the written charm inside a pouch

And he has placed the writing in a pouch

And cast it into a well in Upper Egypt.

and thrown it into a well in Upper Egypt.

وسوف تراه عينك في رغيف

وسوف تراه عينك في رغيف

مساء اليوم في الدور الجديد

مساء اليوم في الدور الجديد

Yet with your own eyes you will see it in a loaf

And your own eye will see it in a loaf

This evening, in the new quarter.”

this evening, in the new round.’

فما حان موعدها رأته

فما حان موعدها رأته

فعادت وهي في فرح شديد

فعادت وهي في فرح شديد

No sooner had the appointed time arrived than she saw it;

So when her appointed time came, she saw it,

She was restored, filled with intense joy.

and returned in intense joy.

وأبرق وجهها بشراً فهبت

وأبرق وجهها بشراً فهبت

هبوب الريح في بأس الحديد

هبوب الريح في بأس الحديد

Her face flashed radiant with gladness, and she sprang up

And her face shone with gladness, and she sprang up

Like a wind gust, with the strength of iron.

like the rushing wind, with the strength of iron.

ورب مشعوذ أغنى مريضاً

ورب مشعوذ أغنى مريضاً

برقَّتِه عن الآسى العنيد

برقَّتِه عن الآسى العنيد

Many a charlatan has spared a sick man,

And many a charlatan has freed a patient,

Through his incantation, from an obstinate physician.

through his gentleness, from needing the obstinate physician.