نَصرٌNasr طَبيبٌa physician وَلَكِنand yet لَمdid not يَعُدvisit أَحَداًanyone
نَصرٌ طَبيبٌ وَلَكِن لَم يَعُد أَحَداً
إِلاexcept وَساقَand brought إِلَيهِto him طِبُّهُhis medicine الأَجَلاdeath
إِلا وَساقَ إِلَيهِ طِبُّهُ الأَجَلا
Nasr is a physician, yet he has never visited anyone
without his medicine bringing death upon him.
فَظَلَّso he kept يُنشِدُreciting verse وَالأَسقامُwhile ailments تَنهَبُهُravage him
فَظَلَّ يُنشِدُ وَالأَسقامُ تَنهَبُهُ
أَحياI live وَأَيسَرُand the least ماwhat قاسَيتُI endured ماwhat قَتَلاkilled
أَحيا وَأَيسَرُ ما قاسَيتُ ما قَتَلا
So he kept reciting, while ailments ravaged him:
'I live, though the least of what I have endured would kill.'
كَمhow many a قائِلٍspeaker قالsaid لَولاهُwere it not for him لماwould not have وَجَدَتfound
كَم قائِلٍ قال لَولاهُ لما وَجَدَت
لَهاfor itself المَناياdeath إِلىto أَرواحِناour souls سُبُلاpaths
لَها المَنايا إِلى أَرواحِنا سُبُلا
Many a speaker has said: 'But for him, death would never have found
paths for itself to our souls.'