وَما جَمَعَت إِلّا العِيادَةُ بَينَنا

وَما جَمَعَت إِلّا العِيادَةُ بَينَنا

فَلَيتَكَ لا قَد كُنتَ أَنَّكَ تَمرَضُ

فَلَيتَكَ لا قَد كُنتَ أَنَّكَ تَمرَضُ

Nothing but a visit to the sick brought us together.

Nothing but illness ever brought us together

So would that you—no, may you never be so!—fell ill.

I wish you had never been sick!

وَكَم قَد مَضى يَومٌ كَلَيلٍ بِهَجرِهِ

وَكَم قَد مَضى يَومٌ كَلَيلٍ بِهَجرِهِ

بِقَلبِيَ مُسوَدٌّ وَبِالبيضِ أَبيضُ

بِقَلبِيَ مُسوَدٌّ وَبِالبيضِ أَبيضُ

And many a day has passed, like night through his estrangement,

How many a long night has passed in your absence

Blackened in my heart, yet white among the white ones.

With a heart filled with gloom though my clothes are white

فَلَم تَأَذَنِ الأَيّامُ إِلّا بِعارِضٍ

فَلَم تَأَذَنِ الأَيّامُ إِلّا بِعارِضٍ

لِقَلبِيَ إِذ أَمسى بِجِسمِكَ يَعرِضُ

لِقَلبِيَ إِذ أَمسى بِجِسمِكَ يَعرِضُ

So the days granted permission only through an affliction

The days brought nothing for my heart but sorrow

Of my heart, when it came to appear in your body.

As evening comes and your body grows frail

وَلَمّا رَأَيتُ السُقمَ يَمشي بِجِسمِهِ

وَلَمّا رَأَيتُ السُقمَ يَمشي بِجِسمِهِ

أَتى الدَمعُ مِن حُزني عَلى الخَدِّ يَركُضُ

أَتى الدَمعُ مِن حُزني عَلى الخَدِّ يَركُضُ

And when I saw sickness walking in his body,

When I saw disease walking through your body

Tears came running down the cheek out of my grief.

Tears of sadness ran down my cheeks