أهذه جرثومة الوباءِ

أهذه جرثومة الوباءِ

لا كنت يا عدوة الأمعاءِ

لا كنت يا عدوة الأمعاءِ

Is this the germ of the epidemic?

Is this the germ of the plague,

May you be no more, O enemy of the bowels!

No, you are the enemy of the intestines,

صورك الوهم سلاحاً ماضيا

صورك الوهم سلاحاً ماضيا

لا حيواناً رائحاً وغاديا

لا حيواناً رائحاً وغاديا

Imagination pictured you as a keen weapon,

Your image was imagined in the past as a weapon,

not a living creature going to and fro.

Not an animal that comes and goes,

وكنت في خواطر الأفكارِ

وكنت في خواطر الأفكارِ

أروع منك الآن في المنظارِ

أروع منك الآن في المنظارِ

And in the mind’s imaginings you were

And you were in the thoughts and ideas,

more fearsome than you are now under the microscope.

More beautiful than you are now under the microscope,

رأى طبيب القوم أن يكبِّرا

رأى طبيب القوم أن يكبِّرا

جسمك كي نبصره فصغرا

جسمك كي نبصره فصغرا

The people’s physician decided to magnify

The doctor of the people wanted to magnify

your body so we might see it—and it shrank.

Your body so we can see it, but it became smaller,

فهل يراك المرء إلا حَشَرَهْ

فهل يراك المرء إلا حَشَرَهْ

ضعيفة مهانة محتقرَهْ

ضعيفة مهانة محتقرَهْ

So does one see you as anything but an insect—

Does one see you except as an annoying insect,

weak, abased, despised?

Weak, disgraced, and despicable?

فكم أبادَ من دُبَى وداسا

فكم أبادَ من دُبَى وداسا

مثلك لا يخشى لها مراسا

مثلك لا يخشى لها مراسا

For he has destroyed and trampled so many young locusts

So how much fuzz and mites have you destroyed,

like you, fearing no resistance from them.

The likes of you are not feared to have a hoof,

رَبّاكِ مَنْ رَبَّى وإني خائفُ

رَبّاكِ مَنْ رَبَّى وإني خائفُ

عليه منك وفؤادي واجفُ

عليه منك وفؤادي واجفُ

Whoever it was that reared you, I am afraid

The one who raised you raises me, and I am afraid

for him because of you, and my heart trembles.

For him because of you, and my heart is anxious,

فلو سقاك أو غذاك حبّا

فلو سقاك أو غذاك حبّا

لم يأمن الإنسان منك حربا

لم يأمن الإنسان منك حربا

For if he gave you drink or fed you out of love,

If he were to water you or feed you with love,

man would not be safe from your warfare.

Humans would not be safe from your war,

فكيف وهو طالب فناءكِ

فكيف وهو طالب فناءكِ

ببحثه وبالدواء داءكِ

ببحثه وبالدواء داءكِ

So how could he be, when he seeks your destruction

So how is he seeking your demise

through his research and by treating your disease?

With his research and medicine for your illness?

أرشده اللّه إلى المفيد

أرشده اللّه إلى المفيد

مباركاً في سعيه الحميد

مباركاً في سعيه الحميد

May God guide him to what is useful,

May God guide him to what is beneficial,

blessing him in his praiseworthy endeavor.

Blessed in his good endeavor.