أغرى امرؤٌ يوماً غلاماً جاهلاً

بنقوده حتى ينالَ به الوطرْ

A man once enticed an ignorant boy

With his money to get his mother's heart

قال: ائتني بفؤاد أمّكَ يا فتًى

ولكَ الجواهرُ واللآلئ والدُّرَر

He said: Bring me your mother's heart, my lad

And you'll get gems, pearls and treasures

فمضى وأغمدَ خِنجراً في صدرها

والقلبُ أخرجَه وعاد على الأثر

So he went and stabbed her in the chest

And took out her heart and came right back

يا هولَ ما فعل الغلامُ كأنّهُ

من دون قلبٍ أو له قلبٌ حَجَر

Oh what a horror that the boy has done

As if he had no heart, or had a heart of stone

ولفرط سرعته هوى فتدحرج الْـ

قلبُ المعنّى في التراب كما عثر

And in his haste he stumbled and fell

The heart of meaning fell in the dirt and got soiled

ناداه ذاك القلبُ وهو مُعفَّرٌ

ولدي حبيبي هل أصابكَ من ضرر

That heart called out to him, though soiled

My dear boy, have you come to any harm?

قد كان هذا الصوتُ رغمَ حُنوِّهِ

غضبَ السماءِ به على الولدِ انهمر

Despite its affection, this voice

Incited the heavens' wrath upon the boy, rain poured down

ورأى فظيعَ جنايةٍ لم يأتها

أحدٌ سواه منذ تاريخِ البشر

And he saw the abhorrent crime, the likes of which

No one but he had committed in human history

فارتدَّ نحو القلبِ يغسله بما

فاضت به عيناه من سيل العِبَر

So he turned back to the heart to wash it

With what overflowed from his eyes in tears

ويصيح مُرتعداً: أيا قلبُ انتقمْ

منّي فإنّ جريمتي لا تُغتفر

And cried out trembling: Oh heart, take revenge

On me, for my crime is unforgivable

واستلَّ خنجرَه ليطعنَ قلبَهُ

طعناً سيبقى عِبْرةً لمنِ اعتبر

And he unsheathed his dagger to stab his own heart

A stab that would remain a lesson for those who are admonished

ناداه قلبُ الأمِّ: كُفَّ يداً ولا

تذبحْ فؤادي مَرّتين على الأثر

The mother's heart called out: Hold back your hand and do not

Slaughter my heart twice in a row