أَلا يا طَبيبَ الجِنِّ وَيحَكَ داوِني

أَلا يا طَبيبَ الجِنِّ وَيحَكَ داوِني

فَإِنَّ طَبيبَ الإِنسِ أَعياهُ دائِيا

فَإِنَّ طَبيبَ الإِنسِ أَعياهُ دائِيا

Listen, O physician of the jinn—woe to you, heal me!

O healer of jinn, come heal me

For my ailment has baffled the physician of humankind.

For the healer of mankind has failed to cure my ailment

أَتَيتُ طَبيبَ الإِنسِ شَيخاً مُداوِيا

أَتَيتُ طَبيبَ الإِنسِ شَيخاً مُداوِيا

بِمَكَّةَ يُعطي في الدَواءِ الأَمانِيا

بِمَكَّةَ يُعطي في الدَواءِ الأَمانِيا

I came to the physician of humankind, an elderly healer,

I went to the healer of mankind, an old curer

In Mecca, offering hopes through his remedies.

In Mecca, giving false hopes in his remedies

فَقُلتُ لَهُ يا عَمُّ حُكمُكَ فَاِحتَكِم

فَقُلتُ لَهُ يا عَمُّ حُكمُكَ فَاِحتَكِم

إِذا ما كَشَفتَ اليَومَ يا عَمِّ ما بِيا

إِذا ما كَشَفتَ اليَومَ يا عَمِّ ما بِيا

So I said to him: Uncle, the terms are yours—name them,

I said to him, “Uncle, your judgment, so judge

If today, uncle, you rid me of what ails me.

If today, Uncle, you uncover what ails me”

فَخاضَ شَراباً بارِداً في زُجاجَةٍ

فَخاضَ شَراباً بارِداً في زُجاجَةٍ

وَطَرَّحَ فيهِ سَلوَةً وَسَقانِيا

وَطَرَّحَ فيهِ سَلوَةً وَسَقانِيا

Then he stirred a cold drink in a bottle,

He mixed a cold drink in a bottle

And cast forgetfulness into it and gave it to me to drink.

And put mint and made me drink it

فَقُلتُ وَمَرضى الناسِ يَسعَونَ حَولَهُ

فَقُلتُ وَمَرضى الناسِ يَسعَونَ حَولَهُ

أَعوذُ بِرَبِّ الناسِ مِنكَ مُداوِيا

أَعوذُ بِرَبِّ الناسِ مِنكَ مُداوِيا

Then I said, while the sick among the people hurried around him:

I said, while people with illness flock around him

I seek refuge in the Lord of humankind from you as a healer.

“I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind from you, healer”

فَقالَ شِفاءُ الحُبِّ أَن تُلصِقَ الحَشا

فَقالَ شِفاءُ الحُبِّ أَن تُلصِقَ الحَشا

بِأَحشاءِ مَن تَهوى إِذا كُنتَ خالِيا

بِأَحشاءِ مَن تَهوى إِذا كُنتَ خالِيا

Then he said: The cure for love is to press your bosom

He said, “The cure of love is to stick the abdomen

Against the bosom of the one you love, when you are in private.

To the insides of the one you love, if you are alone”