وحانيةٍ من غير رُحمى على طفلِ

وحانيةٍ من غير رُحمى على طفلِ

يَعيش بلا أكل ويبقى بلا رسلِ

يَعيش بلا أكل ويبقى بلا رسلِ

And one who bends over a child without pity,

A tavern without mercy upon a child

He lives without food and survives without milk.

Who lives without food and remains without messages

إذا ما دنا من حِجرها نَبذَت بهِ

إذا ما دنا من حِجرها نَبذَت بهِ

وتُرسلهُ طفلاً فيغدو على كهلِ

وتُرسلهُ طفلاً فيغدو على كهلِ

Whenever he draws near her lap, she casts him away.

If he approaches her bosom, she casts him away

And she sends him forth a child, so he advances against a middle-aged man.

And sends him as a child, so he becomes an old man

كأنّ تراخيها قوامٌ لقوةٍ

كأنّ تراخيها قوامٌ لقوةٍ

تميلُ عليه تارةً ثُمّ تَستعلي

تميلُ عليه تارةً ثُمّ تَستعلي

As though her slackening were a mainstay of strength,

As if her negligence is the pillar of a power

She leans over him at times, then rises high.

That leans over him at times, then rises above

إِذا استَعقلتهُ وهو قبضةُ حِجرها

إِذا استَعقلتهُ وهو قبضةُ حِجرها

مضى يضعُ التأكيد في فُرقةِ الشّملِ

مضى يضعُ التأكيد في فُرقةِ الشّملِ

When she binds him while he is in the grasp of her lap,

When she makes sense of him, while he is a handful of her rocks

He goes forth, making the scattering of the gathering certain.

He goes on to put emphasis on the separation of kinship

لها رنّةٌ في إثرهِ بعد فَقدهِ

لها رنّةٌ في إثرهِ بعد فَقدهِ

فتَحسبُها تبكي عليهِ من الثَّكلِ

فتَحسبُها تبكي عليهِ من الثَّكلِ

She gives a ringing cry in his wake, after losing him,

She has a ringing in his absence after losing him

So you think she weeps for him out of bereavement.

You'd think she cries over him out of grief