وَمحتضنٍ طفلاً ينبههُ من ال

وَمحتضنٍ طفلاً ينبههُ من ال

كَرى قارِصاً آذانُهُ فيصيحُ

كَرى قارِصاً آذانُهُ فيصيحُ

And one cradling a child rouses him from

And a man embracing a child waking him from

slumber, pinching his ears, so he cries out.

Sleep, pinching his ears, so he cries out

فيهدنهُ هزّا وطوراً مُرَبِّتاً

فيهدنهُ هزّا وطوراً مُرَبِّتاً

وتأديبَ ضَربٍ تارةً فَيَنوحُ

وتأديبَ ضَربٍ تارةً فَيَنوحُ

Then he calms him by rocking, and sometimes by patting,

So he calms him, rocking him gently

and sometimes disciplines him with blows, so he wails—

And with the discipline of striking him, so he sobs

نواحاً يشهيّ ضربهُ لاستماعهِ

نواحاً يشهيّ ضربهُ لاستماعهِ

وَبَعضُ بها الباهي عليهِ قَبيحُ

وَبَعضُ بها الباهي عليهِ قَبيحُ

a wailing that tempts one to strike him, to hear it.

A sobbing that makes one desire to strike him to hear it

And some of the fair one's beauty is ugly on him.

And some of the splendor in it is ugly to him

وَيَسطو عليهِ آخداً بِخناقهِ

وَيَسطو عليهِ آخداً بِخناقهِ

وَيضغطهُ حتىّ يَكاد يَطوحُ

وَيضغطهُ حتىّ يَكاد يَطوحُ

And he assails him, seizing him by the throat,

And he assaults him, seizing him by the throat

and squeezes him until he almost falls.

And squeezes him until he nearly faints

لكن اذا غَنى لَهُ عاد ساكتاً

لكن اذا غَنى لَهُ عاد ساكتاً

يُراسلُهُ بالصوت وهو فَروحُ

يُراسلُهُ بالصوت وهو فَروحُ

But when he sings to him, he falls silent again;

But when he sings to him, he falls silent

he answers him with sound, and he is joyful.

Conversing with him through sound while in comfort

ومن حظِّه قد حبَّب اللَهُ نَوحَهُ

ومن حظِّه قد حبَّب اللَهُ نَوحَهُ

الينا فَيَغدو نائحاً وَيَروحُ

الينا فَيَغدو نائحاً وَيَروحُ

And by his good fortune, God has made his wailing dear

And it is his fortune that God has made his sobbing

to us; so he goes out wailing in the morning and returns in the evening.

Dear to us, so he becomes a lamenter, then rests