أَيُّ داءٍ يشفُّهُ أَيُّ داءِ

أَيُّ داءٍ يشفُّهُ أَيُّ داءِ

يا إِلهي يا مُنقِذَ الأَبرِياءِ

يا إِلهي يا مُنقِذَ الأَبرِياءِ

What illness is wasting him? What illness?

What ailment can be cured, what ailment

O my God, O savior of the innocent!

My God, savior of the innocent

أَيُّ داءٍ يشفُّهُ فَعَلى عَينَي

أَيُّ داءٍ يشفُّهُ فَعَلى عَينَي

هِ طَيفٌ ذو جَبهَةٍ سَوداءِ

هِ طَيفٌ ذو جَبهَةٍ سَوداءِ

What illness is wasting him? For over his eyes

What ailment can be cured when before my eyes

lies a specter with a black brow.

Is a specter with a dark complexion

كُلُّ لَيلٍ يَمُرُّ يَسلُبُ مِنهُ

كُلُّ لَيلٍ يَمُرُّ يَسلُبُ مِنهُ

زَهراتٍ تَعهَّدَتها دِمائي

زَهراتٍ تَعهَّدَتها دِمائي

Each passing night steals from him

Each night that passes robs me

flowers that my blood has tended.

Of blooms nurtured by my blood

قيلَ لي إِنَّهُ سَيَشفى وَلكِن

قيلَ لي إِنَّهُ سَيَشفى وَلكِن

مُقلَتاهُ تَوارَتا في غِشاءِ

مُقلَتاهُ تَوارَتا في غِشاءِ

I was told he would recover, but

I was told he would be cured but

his eyes have disappeared beneath a veil,

His eyelids disappeared behind a veil

في غِشاءٍ يشفُّ عَن بَعضِ روحٍ

في غِشاءٍ يشفُّ عَن بَعضِ روحٍ

لَيسَ فيهِ لِلأُمِّ بَعضُ رجاءِ

لَيسَ فيهِ لِلأُمِّ بَعضُ رجاءِ

a veil through which a trace of soul shows,

Behind a veil revealing some spirit

in which there is no shred of hope for the mother.

In which there is no hope left for a mother

لَونُهُ أَمسِ غَيره اليَومَ إِنَّ ال

لَونُهُ أَمسِ غَيره اليَومَ إِنَّ ال

داءِ يَمحو عَنهُ جَمالَ الفَتاءِ

داءِ يَمحو عَنهُ جَمالَ الفَتاءِ

His color yesterday was different from today's; indeed, the

His color changed from yesterday, illness

illness erases from him the beauty of youth.

Erases from him the beauty of youth

ربِّ رُحماكَ لا تُذلَّ فُؤادي

ربِّ رُحماكَ لا تُذلَّ فُؤادي

بِحَبيبي وَلا تَجهَّم مَسائي

بِحَبيبي وَلا تَجهَّم مَسائي

Lord, have mercy; do not bring my heart low

Lord, your mercy, do not humiliate my heart

through my beloved, nor darken my evening.

With my beloved or make my evenings hellish

ربِّ لا تضرب الحَزينَةَ بِالثَك

ربِّ لا تضرب الحَزينَةَ بِالثَك

لِ وَلا تَبلني بِهذا البَلاءِ

لِ وَلا تَبلني بِهذا البَلاءِ

Lord, do not strike the sorrowful woman with bereavement,

Lord, do not strike the sorrowful one with disdain

nor try me with this affliction.

Or afflict me with this tribulation

لا تَدَعني يا رَبُّ أَحمل أَوجا

لا تَدَعني يا رَبُّ أَحمل أَوجا

عي أَمامَ الباقينَ من أَبنائي

عي أَمامَ الباقينَ من أَبنائي

Do not let me, Lord, carry my pains

Do not let me, oh Lord, bear my worries

before those of my children who remain.

Before my remaining children

لا تلطِّخ بِاليَاسِ بيض شعوري

لا تلطِّخ بِاليَاسِ بيض شعوري

يا عزاءَ الأمومَةِ البَيضاءِ

يا عزاءَ الأمومَةِ البَيضاءِ

Do not stain my white hairs with despair,

Do not stain with despair the whiteness of my thoughts

O solace of white motherhood.

Oh comfort of radiant motherhood

وَأَصاخَت حيناً لِتَسمَعَ صَوت اللَ

وَأَصاخَت حيناً لِتَسمَعَ صَوت اللَ

هِ وَاللَهُ معرِضٌ في السَماءِ

هِ وَاللَهُ معرِضٌ في السَماءِ

And for a while she listened to hear the voice of God,

She sobbed for a time to hear God's voice

while God was aloof in heaven.

But God remains indifferent in the heavens

فَكَأَنَّ السَما بناءُ نحاسٍ

فَكَأَنَّ السَما بناءُ نحاسٍ

وَكَأَنَّ الظَلامَ عرشُ قَضاءِ

وَكَأَنَّ الظَلامَ عرشُ قَضاءِ

So it was as though the sky were an edifice of copper,

As if the heavens were a structure of brass

and as though the darkness were a throne of fate,

And as if the darkness was the throne of fate

وَكَأَنَّ النُجومَ في شُرفَةِ اللَي

وَكَأَنَّ النُجومَ في شُرفَةِ اللَي

لِ شموعُ الأَكفانِ لِلأَحياءِ

لِ شموعُ الأَكفانِ لِلأَحياءِ

and as though the stars on the balcony of night

And as if the stars in the mantle of night

were shroud-candles for the living.

Were shrouds candles for the living

وَعيونُ المَريضِ تَزدادُ نَزعاً

وَعيونُ المَريضِ تَزدادُ نَزعاً

كُلَّما اِزدادَ روحه في الضياءِ

كُلَّما اِزدادَ روحه في الضياءِ

And the sick one's eyes struggle ever more in death's throes,

And the eyes of the patient grow more restless

the more his soul grows in radiance.

As his soul gains more radiance