يقول لي الطبيب بغير علم

يقول لي الطبيب بغير علم

تداو فأنت يا هذا عليل

تداو فأنت يا هذا عليل

The physician says to me, without knowledge,

The doctor tells me without knowing,

"Seek treatment, you there, for you are ill."

"Take medicine, for you are sick."

ودائي ليس يدريه لسوائي

ودائي ليس يدريه لسوائي

ورب قادر ملك جليل

ورب قادر ملك جليل

My ailment is known to no one but me,

But my ailment he does not know, in my complaint,

By the all-powerful Lord, the majestic King.

Though the Lord is able, the King is mighty.

أأكتمه ويكشفه شهيق

أأكتمه ويكشفه شهيق

يلازمني وإطراق طويل

يلازمني وإطراق طويل

Shall I conceal it, when a deep sigh reveals it,

Shall I conceal it while a sigh reveals it,

That clings to me, and a prolonged downcast gaze,

And silence accompanies my lingering?

ووجه شاهدات الحزن فيه

ووجه شاهدات الحزن فيه

وجسم كالخيال ضن نحيل

وجسم كالخيال ضن نحيل

And a face upon which sorrow's signs appear,

My face shows the marks of sadness,

And a body like a phantom, wasted and thin?

My body is like a specter, lean and thin.

وأثبت ما يكون الأمر يوماً

وأثبت ما يكون الأمر يوماً

بلا شك إذا صح الدليل

بلا شك إذا صح الدليل

And a matter is as certain as it can ever be,

I will establish what will happen one day,

Beyond doubt, when the proof is sound.

Without doubt, if the proof is sound.

فقلت له أبن عني قليلا

فقلت له أبن عني قليلا

فلا والله تعرف ما تقول

فلا والله تعرف ما تقول

So I told him, "Move away from me a little,

So I said to him, "Turn from me a little,

For, by God, you do not know what you say."

By God, you do not know what you are saying."

فقال أرى نحولاً زاد جداً

فقال أرى نحولاً زاد جداً

وعلتك التي تشكو ذبول

وعلتك التي تشكو ذبول

Then he said, "I see wasting that has greatly increased,

He said, "I see you have become very thin,

And the ailment you complain of is wasting disease."

And your illness which you complain of is withering."

فقلت له الذبول تعل منه ال

فقلت له الذبول تعل منه ال

جوارح وهي حمى تستحيل

جوارح وهي حمى تستحيل

So I told him, "Wasting disease sickens the

I said to him, "Withering does not come from it,

limbs; it is a fever that changes form.

Rather a fever turns into this."

وما أشكو لعمر الله حمى

وما أشكو لعمر الله حمى

وإن الحر في جسمي قليل

وإن الحر في جسمي قليل

But, by the life of God, I suffer no fever,

And I swear by God's life I do not complain of fever,

And indeed there is little heat in my body."

Though the heat in my body is little.

فقال أرى التفاتاً وارتقاباً

فقال أرى التفاتاً وارتقاباً

وأفكاراً وصمتا لا يزول

وأفكاراً وصمتا لا يزول

Then he said, "I see glances about and watchful waiting,

He said, "I see you turning and watching,

And thoughts, and a silence that never ends.

Thoughts, and silence that does not cease."

وأحسب أنها السوداء فانظر

وأحسب أنها السوداء فانظر

لنفسك أنها عرض ثقيل

لنفسك أنها عرض ثقيل

And I think it is black bile; so look

And I reckon it is the dark one, so look

After yourself—it is a grave affliction."

To yourself - it is a grave condition."

فقلت له كلامك ذا محال

فقلت له كلامك ذا محال

فما للدمع من عيني يسيل

فما للدمع من عيني يسيل

So I told him, "This talk of yours is absurd;

I said to him, "Your words are impossible,

Why, then, do tears flow from my eye?"

For from my eyes no tears flow."

فأطرق باهتاً مما رآه

فأطرق باهتاً مما رآه

ألا في مثل ذا بهت النبيل

ألا في مثل ذا بهت النبيل

Then he bowed his head, bewildered by what he saw.

Bewildered, he bowed at what he saw.

Ah, in cases like this, the noble man is confounded.

Alas! By this the noble one is confounded.

فقلت له دوائي منه دائي

فقلت له دوائي منه دائي

ألا في مثل ذا ضلت عقول

ألا في مثل ذا ضلت عقول

So I told him, "My illness comes from my remedy."

I said to him, "My cure lies in my ailment.

Ah, in cases like this, minds have gone astray.

Alas! By this the minds are misguided."

وشاهد ما أقول يرى عياناً

وشاهد ما أقول يرى عياناً

فروع النبت ان عكست أصول

فروع النبت ان عكست أصول

And proof of what I say is plainly visible:

And witness what I say sees clearly,

A plant's branches, if inverted, are roots.

That if the branches are inverted, so are the roots.

وترياق الأفاعي ليس شيء

وترياق الأفاعي ليس شيء

سواه ببرء ما لدغت كفيل

سواه ببرء ما لدغت كفيل

And the vipers' antidote—nothing

The antidote to snakes is nothing

But it can guarantee a cure for whatever they have bitten.

But it, and it is sufficient for the sting.