فَأَصبَحتُ في أَقصى البِيوتِ يَعُدنَني

فَأَصبَحتُ في أَقصى البِيوتِ يَعُدنَني

بَقِيَّةَ ما أَبقَينَ نَصلاً يَمانِيا

بَقِيَّةَ ما أَبقَينَ نَصلاً يَمانِيا

I had become, in the farthest of the dwellings, as they visited me in sickness,

So I came to be in the remotest of houses, with women visiting me,

the remnant they had left of a Yemeni blade.

a remnant of what they had left of me—a Yemeni blade.

تَجَمَّعنَ مِن شَتّى ثَلاثٌ وَأَربَعٌ

تَجَمَّعنَ مِن شَتّى ثَلاثٌ وَأَربَعٌ

وَواحِدَةٌ حَتّى كَمُلنَ ثَمانِيا

وَواحِدَةٌ حَتّى كَمُلنَ ثَمانِيا

They gathered from various quarters: three and four,

They gathered from scattered places: three and four,

and one—until they made eight in all.

and one more, until they numbered eight.

يَعِدنَ مَريضاً هُنَّ هَيَّجنَ ما بِهِ

يَعِدنَ مَريضاً هُنَّ هَيَّجنَ ما بِهِ

أَلا إِنَّما بَعضُ العَوائِدِ دائِيا

أَلا إِنَّما بَعضُ العَوائِدِ دائِيا

They visit a sick man—they themselves had stirred what ails him;

They visit a sick man whose illness they themselves have stirred up;

Lo, some of the women who visit the sick are my very sickness.

indeed, some women who visit the sick are my very illness.