You give care to the sick, And shelter to the resourceless, You are wealth to the poor; Relief for those in distress Comes from you When you arrive in the world, You oft unwanted come, But then, by your charms, You please everyone at home. Still, though a power In your parents' home, You remain a servant From your childhood on. To your parents' orders, you dance Like a puppet on a string. You sympathize with father and heed mother In every little thing. You're cooking, sewing, mending, All day, every day. You never have a moment free To while the time away. You're the one who wakes at night, When others are asleep, To care for little siblings Who are crying in their sleep. And when you reach your in-laws' house, You find another situation; As if, at a bound, you landed In a distant, alien nation. There you must endeavor Lest others be distressed; To never cause displeasure You must always do your best. Do not change your husband's views, Nor disturb his father, Lest his mother and his sister Find you too great a bother. -49-