Ummuliso To the Midwife

Ummuliso

Hooyo aan la aqoonsan
Hooyo aan la ogayn
Hooyo aan la astayn
Hadda aan laga oollin
Ummulisoow adigaa ahna.
 
Ooridii dinahanaysa
Marka fooshu eryayso
Tay ku eeranaysaay
Astaantii naxariista
Ummulisoow adigaa ah.
 
Qof kastoo ifka jooga
Ammintuu dhalanaayay
Soo dhoweynta ilmaha
Irriddii jiritaanka
Ummulisooy adigaa ah.
 
Ubadku goortuu
Uurka hooyo ka arooro
Marka adduunka
Dhibaato oosha
Ugu horreysa
Markuu abbaaro
Naqasku oofta
Oohintiisa
Axad u jeela
Ku farxa oohin
Adiga weeye.
 
Ujeeddadaadu
Ubadka weeye
Ha amba qaado
Ammuu ahaanba
Waayaha adduunka
Kan abda-yeela.
 

To the Midwife

The mother we don’t acknowledge;
The mother ignored,
Neglected
And unknown
Is you: the mother who is midwife.
 
A woman keens with contractions,
Labours under pain,
Utterly reliant
On your compassion and care:
You mother her, midwife.
 
Each tongue the world speaks
When a child is born,
The welcome
At the threshold of life
Is you, mother midwife. 
 
From the day the egg
Implants in the womb,
As the earth’s
Troubles stir,
As the child is counted,
He gazes,
Hard-breathing,
He cries.
The first in awe,
Enamoured,
Is you: the mother who is midwife.
 
You are intent
On the baby’s being;
First guide on the path
Of his wobbly walk,
That he might be as good as he can:
One who atones for us.
 

The Midwife

The mother not acknowledged
Who has been ignored
Who has not been addressed
One that no one knows
Is you mid-wife (mother you).
 
More often efficient wife
Burdened by the in labor pain
You one that she most relied
With that compassion sign (and most of care)
Is you the midwife (of mother you).
 
Any language that world speaks
When a child is born
To welcome him
At the outlet of life
Is you the mid-wife (of mother you). 
 
From the day a child
He planted in a mother’s womb
As the earth
Troubles aroused
At first count
He gazes
All hard breathing
As he cries
The one
Who enamored mean
Is you the midwife (of mother you).
 
All intention
Is for wellbeing (well-guided) of offspring’s
 
That he should wobble walk
That he might as well could be
One who atones all world affairs.
 

This translation was commissioned by The Somali Week Festival which is organised by Kayd and supported by Arts Council England.

Original Poem by

Said Salah

Translated by

Ahmed Ismail Yusuf with Clare Pollard Language

Somali

Country

Somalia/Somaliland