أَبا الأَطوَلِ طَوَّلتَ

أَبا الأَطوَلِ طَوَّلتَ

وَما يَنفَعُ تَطويلُ

وَما يَنفَعُ تَطويلُ

O Abu al-Atwal, you have drawn it out,

O father of Al-Atawal, you have prolonged

and prolonging it does no good.

Yet prolonging is of no benefit

بِكَ السُلُّ وَلا وَاللَـ

بِكَ السُلُّ وَلا وَاللَـ

ـهِ ما يَبرَأُ مَسلولُ

ـهِ ما يَبرَأُ مَسلولُ

You have consumption—no, by

Neither honey nor, by God,

God, no consumptive recovers.

Will a dressed wound heal

وَلكِن رُبَّما جَرَّ

وَلكِن رُبَّما جَرَّ

إِذا ما كانَ تَمهيلُ

إِذا ما كانَ تَمهيلُ

But sometimes one lingers

But perhaps it may drag on

when there is a reprieve,

If there is some respite

كَما كانَ وَقَد كانَ

كَما كانَ وَقَد كانَ

بِهِ القُرحَةُ مَكحولُ

بِهِ القُرحَةُ مَكحولُ

as was the case when

As it was and had been

Makhul had an ulcer;

With it the ulcer festered

وَيَومٍ حارَ بِالعَنبَرِ

وَيَومٍ حارَ بِالعَنبَرِ

وَالقَيسِيِّ بَهلولُ

وَالقَيسِيِّ بَهلولُ

and one day, baffled by al-Anbar

And a day boiled with ambergris

and al-Qaysi, was Bahlul.

And musk for Bahlool

وَكُلٌّ كانَ ذا جَمعٍ

وَكُلٌّ كانَ ذا جَمعٍ

لَهُ هَمٌّ وَتَأميلُ

لَهُ هَمٌّ وَتَأميلُ

And each had amassed wealth,

And each had a group

with concerns and hopes of his own.

For him a care and hope

فَصاروا جَزَراً لِلمَو

فَصاروا جَزَراً لِلمَو

تِ قَد غالَتهُمُ غولُ

تِ قَد غالَتهُمُ غولُ

So they became slaughtered prey for

So they became food for death

death; a ghoul had carried them off.

Ghouls feasted on them

وَأَنتَ الرابِعُ التابِعُ

وَأَنتَ الرابِعُ التابِعُ

ما عَن ذاكَ تَأجيلُ

ما عَن ذاكَ تَأجيلُ

And you are the fourth to follow;

And you're the fourth follower

there is no delaying that.

No delaying that

وَلا يَغرُركَ مِن طِبِّـ

وَلا يَغرُركَ مِن طِبِّـ

ـكَ أَقوالٌ أَباطيلُ

ـكَ أَقوالٌ أَباطيلُ

And do not let your medicine's

And words of your wellbeing don't fool me

false, empty claims deceive you.

I see in you signs

أَرى فيكَ عَلاماتٍ

أَرى فيكَ عَلاماتٍ

وَلِلأَشياءِ تَأويلُ

وَلِلأَشياءِ تَأويلُ

I see signs in you,

And things have interpretations

and things have their interpretation:

Emaciation has shown your body

هُزالاً قَد بَرى جِسمَـ

هُزالاً قَد بَرى جِسمَـ

ـكَ وَالمَسلولُ مَهزولُ

ـكَ وَالمَسلولُ مَهزولُ

wasting that has worn your body away—

And the dressed wound is worn out

and a consumptive is wasted;

And insects buzzing around you

وَذِبّاناً حَوالَيكَ

وَذِبّاناً حَوالَيكَ

فَمَوقوذٌ وَمَقتولُ

فَمَوقوذٌ وَمَقتولُ

and flies around you,

So stung and killed

some battered, some killed;

And fever in your bone

وَحُمّى مِنكَ في العَظمِ

وَحُمّى مِنكَ في العَظمِ

فَأَنتَ الدَهرَ مَملولُ

فَأَنتَ الدَهرَ مَملولُ

and fever in your bones,

You are forever suffering

so you are forever fever-ridden;

And other signs besides that

وَأَعلامٌ سِوى ذاكَ

وَأَعلامٌ سِوى ذاكَ

تُواريها السَراويلُ

تُواريها السَراويلُ

and signs besides that,

Covered by clothes

which your trousers conceal.

And if with ten elephants from what's in you

وَلَو بِالفيلِ مِمّا بِـ

وَلَو بِالفيلِ مِمّا بِـ

ـكَ عشرٌ ما نَجا الفيلُ

ـكَ عشرٌ ما نَجا الفيلُ

And if an elephant had even

The elephant would not survive

a tenth of what ails you, it would not survive.

Is this taste of the bowel

أَهذي نَكهَةُ المِعدَ

أَهذي نَكهَةُ المِعدَ

ةِ أم ضِرسُكَ مَأكولُ

ةِ أم ضِرسُكَ مَأكولُ

Is this the odor of the stomach,

Or your tooth decayed?

or is your molar decayed?

Or are these ulcers on you

وَما هذا عَلى فيكَ

وَما هذا عَلى فيكَ

قِلاعٌ أَم دَماميلُ

قِلاعٌ أَم دَماميلُ

And what is this on your mouth—

Or moles?

thrush or boils?

Or has fever loved you

أَمِ الحُمّى أَحَبَّتكَ

أَمِ الحُمّى أَحَبَّتكَ

فَهذا البَثرُ تَقبيلُ

فَهذا البَثرُ تَقبيلُ

Or has the fever fallen in love with you,

So this is kissing?

so these pustules are its kisses?

And why has your confidant

وَما بالُ مُناجيكَ

وَما بالُ مُناجيكَ

تَوَلّى وَهوَ مَبلولُ

تَوَلّى وَهوَ مَبلولُ

And why has the one whispering to you

Turned away in sorrow?

turned away soaking wet?

If it's from indigestion

فَإِن كانَ مِنَ الجَوفِ

فَإِن كانَ مِنَ الجَوفِ

فَقَد سالَ بِكَ النيلُ

فَقَد سالَ بِكَ النيلُ

So if it came from within,

The Nile has flowed with you

then the Nile has flowed through you.

And if it's a sickness that shakes you

وَذا داءٌ يُزَجِّيكَ

وَذا داءٌ يُزَجِّيكَ

فَلا قالٌ وَلا قيلُ

فَلا قالٌ وَلا قيلُ

And this is a disease that drives you onward,

There's no saying or words

so no more talk or chatter.

And if you need my knowledge

وَإِن تَحتَج إِلى عِلمي

وَإِن تَحتَج إِلى عِلمي

فَطِبّي لَكَ مَبذولُ

فَطِبّي لَكَ مَبذولُ

And if you need my knowledge,

Medicine is ready for you

then my medicine is freely offered to you.

On you is powdered colocynth

عَلَيكَ الحَنظَلَ المَدقو

عَلَيكَ الحَنظَلَ المَدقو

قَ سَفّاً وَهوَ مَنخولُ

قَ سَفّاً وَهوَ مَنخولُ

Take crushed colocynth,

Poured and stirred

swallow it dry, after it has been sifted.