ليسَ العليلُ الذي حمَّاه في الجسَدِ

ليسَ العليلُ الذي حمَّاه في الجسَدِ

بلِ العليلُ الذي حمّاه في الكمدِ

بلِ العليلُ الذي حمّاه في الكمدِ

The ailing one is not he whose fever is in the body,

The sick is not who fever grips his body

The ailing one is not he whose fever grips the body,

but he whose fever is in grief.

But the sick is who fever grips his soul

But the truly ailing is he whose fever lies in anguish.

أقسَمتُ ما قبَّلَ الحُمّى سوى ملِكٍ

أقسَمتُ ما قبَّلَ الحُمّى سوى ملِكٍ

قبلَ الأميرِ ولا اشتاقَت إلى أحَدِ

قبلَ الأميرِ ولا اشتاقَت إلى أحَدِ

I swear, fever kissed none but a king

I swear none but a king has the fever ever kissed

I swore that fever has kissed none but a king,

before the prince, nor had she longed for anyone.

Before the prince, nor has it yearned for anyone

Before the Prince, nor has it ever longed for another.

فلا تلُمها رأت شيئاً فأعجَبَها

فلا تلُمها رأت شيئاً فأعجَبَها

فعاوَدتكَ ولَو ملَّتكَ لَم تَعُدِ

فعاوَدتكَ ولَو ملَّتكَ لَم تَعُدِ

So do not blame her: she saw something that pleased her,

So do not blame it, it saw something it liked

So blame it not; it beheld a sight that pleased it,

so she returned to you—and had she tired of you, she would not have returned.

And so returned to you, even had it tired of you it would not have left

And so returned to you; had it grown weary, it would not have come back.

أليسَ من محَنِ الدنيا أبا دُلَفٍ

أليسَ من محَنِ الدنيا أبا دُلَفٍ

ألّا نزوركَ والروحانِ في بَلَدِ

ألّا نزوركَ والروحانِ في بَلَدِ

Is it not among the world's afflictions, Abu Dulaf,

Is it not of the tribulations of life, O Abaa Dulaf

Is it not one of the world's great trials, O Abu Dulaf,

that we do not visit you, though our two souls are in the same town?

That we do not visit you while you are in this land

That we do not visit you, while both our souls dwell in one land?