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MY SON'S SLEPT WHILE I WAS STABBED

By Farah Abdul Khaliq

One dark and misty night when my sons fell asleep,

The enemy entered the chambers of my protected home, and found me,

He had lurked around for some time now, to seize this opportunity

He saw that my sons had slept and decided my decree

That now was the moment to stab me

I screamed hoping my sons would hear,

For the cries of their ailing mother they could never bear,

I waited as did my enemy,

He waited because he wished to mock me,

"Where are your sons oh old lady"?

"Let me see their love for you let them prevent me"!

I had full faith in my sons’ power

And moreover their love for their mother

They had carried me from Madina to Sind,

On their shoulders I reached Andalus,

It was they who took me to al-Hind

They boasted my glory over the mothers of others

The Persian mothers envied me,

As they did the Roman mothers

No! By Allah my sons will try,

I am their mother they will hear their mothers cry!

The dagger of my blood dripped to the ground

I waited for them to hear this sound,

Now they will awaken, they heard my pain,

They will not let my blood spill in vain,

Alas every drop of my blood dropped, and my sons never came

Oh people imagine this mother’s pain

The enemy then laughed at me and left,

Now my heart truly wept,

I screamed with agony

But it wasn’t for me,

It was because my children would now be shade-free,

I was the shield that had them protected,

Now I that I left,

My sons’ bravery too will be neglected

I knew the dagger which slew me will be ornamented and sent their way,

And soon there will come a day,

They would be awaken free,

Of any memory, any longing for me,

So you see my sons it wasn’t my murder that scared me,

I was scared because as a mother I could see,

At the fall of her shade you will fall,

Into a state of complacency

I knew at the demise of the mother

The sons fall into vulnerability

My daughters would be oppressed and will call upon their brother,

But I’m afraid you will delay your response,

Because you may forget the memory of your mother.