I am miserable twice over: after giving birth to seven sons, I am mother of none!
2O seven useless births and seven fruitless periods of gestation, in vain the nursings and the miserable cares!
3In vain, my sons, I endured for you so many pains of childbirth.
4Woe to me, my sons, some single, others married in vain! I will not see your children nor have the joy of being called grandmother.
5Woe, I who had so many and beautiful sons, am a widow and solitary and full of anguish!
6Nor when I die will I have a son to bury me.
7But with such lamentation the holy mother did not grieve for any of them.
8Nor did she dissuade them from dying, nor was she sorry for them when they were dying.
9On the contrary, as if she had a mind of diamond and were bearing her children for immortal life.
10She encouraged and exhorted them to die in the name of piety.