وَمحتضنٍ طفلاً ينبههُ من ال

كَرى قارِصاً آذانُهُ فيصيحُ

And a man embracing a child waking him from

Sleep, pinching his ears, so he cries out

فيهدنهُ هزّا وطوراً مُرَبِّتاً

وتأديبَ ضَربٍ تارةً فَيَنوحُ

So he calms him, rocking him gently

And with the discipline of striking him, so he sobs

نواحاً يشهيّ ضربهُ لاستماعهِ

وَبَعضُ بها الباهي عليهِ قَبيحُ

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

And some of the splendor in it is ugly to him

وَيَسطو عليهِ آخداً بِخناقهِ

وَيضغطهُ حتىّ يَكاد يَطوحُ

And he assaults him, seizing him by the throat

And squeezes him until he nearly faints

لكن اذا غَنى لَهُ عاد ساكتاً

يُراسلُهُ بالصوت وهو فَروحُ

But when he sings to him, he falls silent

Conversing with him through sound while in comfort

ومن حظِّه قد حبَّب اللَهُ نَوحَهُ

الينا فَيَغدو نائحاً وَيَروحُ

And it is his fortune that God has made his sobbing

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