إنَّ الشفاءَ مجلَّهٌ طبيَّةٌ

إنَّ الشفاءَ مجلَّهٌ طبيَّةٌ

جَمَعت فاوعت خير مَدحٍ قد وفى

جَمَعت فاوعت خير مَدحٍ قد وفى

Indeed, Al-Shifa is a medical journal;

The cure in full is a medical collection

“It gathered and encompassed”—the finest praise, sufficient in itself.

It gathered and comprehended the best praise that fulfilled

فالطبُّ أشرف ما بِهِ بَحَث الوَرى

فالطبُّ أشرف ما بِهِ بَحَث الوَرى

اذ كان في الدنيا يخصُّ الاشرفا

اذ كان في الدنيا يخصُّ الاشرفا

For medicine is the noblest subject humankind has investigated,

Medicine is the noblest that existence has sought

Since in this world it concerns the noblest.

Since it was in life that ennobles the noblest

وَنَراهُ مُحَدثَ نَشأَةٍ معَ قدمهِ

وَنَراهُ مُحَدثَ نَشأَةٍ معَ قدمهِ

فالبحث فيهِ خير ما قد أُلِّفا

فالبحث فيهِ خير ما قد أُلِّفا

And we see it newly born, despite its antiquity;

We see it as an ancient yet novel creation

Thus research into it is the best of what has been written.

Seeking it is the best composition compiled

كَمَجَلَّةٍ غرّآءَ عزَّ مَقامُها

كَمَجَلَّةٍ غرّآءَ عزَّ مَقامُها

جمعت بِهِ ما جلَّ مِمّا اِستُطرفا

جمعت بِهِ ما جلَّ مِمّا اِستُطرفا

As in a radiant journal whose standing is exalted,

Like a brilliant journal, lofty is its station

It gathered in that field the finest of what was deemed novel.

It gathered what was most wondrous of wondrous finds

وأَتَت من الماضي على ذكر الَّذي

وأَتَت من الماضي على ذكر الَّذي

فيهِ فوائدُ كنَّ في طيّ الخفا

فيهِ فوائدُ كنَّ في طيّ الخفا

And it recalled from the past that which

And it came from the past with mention of what

Held benefits once hidden in the folds of obscurity.

In it has benefits that were in scrolls concealed

فَبِها التَقي بستور مع بقراطَ وال

فَبِها التَقي بستور مع بقراطَ وال

شيخِ الرَئيس وغيرهِ مِمَّن قفا

شيخِ الرَئيس وغيرهِ مِمَّن قفا

So in it Pasteur met Hippocrates and the

Through it the pious met Hippocrates and Galen

Chief Sage, and others who followed.

The Sheikh, the Chief and others who excelled

وَبها دقائق مُلحَقات الطبّ قد

وَبها دقائق مُلحَقات الطبّ قد

أُوسعنَ بحثا واِكثنِهنَ تَفلسُفا

أُوسعنَ بحثا واِكثنِهنَ تَفلسُفا

And in it the subtleties of medicine's allied fields have

In it are subtleties of medicine's additions

Been thoroughly researched and philosophically [fathomed].

Researched extensively, increasingly philosophical

وَمَسائِلٌ مدَنيَّةٌ وَمطالبٌ

وَمَسائِلٌ مدَنيَّةٌ وَمطالبٌ

عميَّةٌ والكُلُّ مِمّا اِستؤنِفا

عميَّةٌ والكُلُّ مِمّا اِستؤنِفا

And civic questions, and inquiries

Civil issues, obscure requests and all

Obscure, and all of them newly undertaken.

That was initiated and continued

وَهيَ البديعة في البلاد اِستُنبطت

وَهيَ البديعة في البلاد اِستُنبطت

تُروي العِطاش بموردٍ منها صفا

تُروي العِطاش بموردٍ منها صفا

And it is the marvel brought forth in these lands,

It is the marvel in the land, ingeniously deduced

Quenching the thirsty from a clear spring of its own.

Quenching the thirsty from a clear flowing source

وَهي الطَبيب يَعود اذ لا عائدٌ

وَهي الطَبيب يَعود اذ لا عائدٌ

مترفّقا بعليلهِ متلطّفا

مترفّقا بعليلهِ متلطّفا

And it is the physician who visits when no other visits,

It is the doctor who makes his rounds when none can be found

Treating his patient gently and tenderly.

Attentive to his patient, gentle and kind

لا يعدل الخبرُ العيانَ ومَن يكن

لا يعدل الخبرُ العيانَ ومَن يكن

للشيءِ مختبراً وقال فقد كَفى

للشيءِ مختبراً وقال فقد كَفى

No report equals firsthand sight; and whoever has

News cannot match eyewitness, and he who has

Tested a thing and spoken has said enough.

Examined something and spoke has said enough

وَالطبُّ غايتهُ الشفآءُ لذي الضَنى

وَالطبُّ غايتهُ الشفآءُ لذي الضَنى

فأَهمُّ ما يُهدى اليهِ هوَ الشِفا

فأَهمُّ ما يُهدى اليهِ هوَ الشِفا

And medicine's aim is healing for the sufferer;

Medicine's purpose is healing the aggrieved

So the foremost gift offered him is Al-Shifa.

So the most important offering is a cure