لكُلِّ حَبيبٍ يا حَبيبُ رَقيبُ

لكُلِّ حَبيبٍ يا حَبيبُ رَقيبُ

وَمِن كُلِّ جِسمٍ لِلسَقامِ نَصيبُ

وَمِن كُلِّ جِسمٍ لِلسَقامِ نَصيبُ

Every beloved, O beloved, has a watcher.

For every lover, O my love, there is a watcher,

And sickness has a share of every body.

And for every body there is a share of sickness,

وَإِنّيَ في أَهلي وَداري لِما أَرى

وَإِنّيَ في أَهلي وَداري لِما أَرى

عَلَيكَ مِنَ السُقمِ الغَريبِ غَريبُ

عَلَيكَ مِنَ السُقمِ الغَريبِ غَريبُ

And I, among my family and in my home, because of what I see

And I, in my family and home, for what I see

Of the strange sickness upon you, am a stranger.

Of the strange illness that has befallen you, am a stranger,

وَما كانَ يَدري ما الرَقيبُ فَذا الضَنى

وَما كانَ يَدري ما الرَقيبُ فَذا الضَنى

رَقيبٌ عَلَيهِ وَالشِفاءُ حَبيبُ

رَقيبٌ عَلَيهِ وَالشِفاءُ حَبيبُ

And he did not know what a watcher was; so this wasting illness

And he did not know what a watcher was in his grief,

Is a watcher over him, and recovery is a beloved.

A watcher over him, while healing was his beloved,

وَإِن جَمُدَت فيهِ العُيونُ فَرُبَّما

وَإِن جَمُدَت فيهِ العُيونُ فَرُبَّما

تُلِحُّ عَلَيهِ في البُكاءِ قُلوبُ

تُلِحُّ عَلَيهِ في البُكاءِ قُلوبُ

And though eyes remain dry for him, perhaps

And if eyes congealed in him, then perhaps

Hearts persist in weeping over him.

Hearts will insist on weeping over him,

فَلا اِنفَضَّ إِلّا بَعدَ برئِكَ عائِدٌ

فَلا اِنفَضَّ إِلّا بَعدَ برئِكَ عائِدٌ

وَلا غابَ إِلّا إِذ تَصِحُّ طَبيبُ

وَلا غابَ إِلّا إِذ تَصِحُّ طَبيبُ

So may no sickbed visitor depart until after your recovery,

So he did not recover except after you were well again,

Nor may a physician go away until you are well.

Nor was absent except when you were healed, O doctor,

وَأَيُّ زَمانٍ لا يُسَبِّبُ طيبَهُ

وَأَيُّ زَمانٍ لا يُسَبِّبُ طيبَهُ

يَلَذُّ عَلى إِنعامِهِ وَيَطيبُ

يَلَذُّ عَلى إِنعامِهِ وَيَطيبُ

And what time, if it does not bring him well-being,

And which time fails to make pleasant through his benevolence,

Can be delightful and sweet, for all its bounty?

And becomes pleasant upon his blessings?

وَما عُدتُهُ بَل عُدتُ سُقمي بِقُربِهِ

وَما عُدتُهُ بَل عُدتُ سُقمي بِقُربِهِ

وَمِمّا بِهِ ما لي عَلَيهِ رَقيبُ

وَمِمّا بِهِ ما لي عَلَيهِ رَقيبُ

And I did not visit him, but visited my own sickness by being near him.

Nor did I count his return, but rather I counted my sickness near him,

And because of what ails him, I have no watcher over him.

And of that which he has, I have no watcher over him,

أَغيبُ بِرَغمي ثُمَّ أُحضرُ عِندَهُ

أَغيبُ بِرَغمي ثُمَّ أُحضرُ عِندَهُ

فَأنظُرُ آثارَ الضَنى فَأَغيبُ

فَأنظُرُ آثارَ الضَنى فَأَغيبُ

I am absent against my will, then am brought into his presence;

I disappear against my will, then I am brought to him,

Then I see the traces of wasting illness, and swoon.

So I look at the traces of grief, and then disappear.