qalb minfuda b'sejf in-niket

Maltese

Etymology

Literally: “a heart pierced by the sword of grief”. After Luke 2:35, where the Virgin Mary is told a sword will pierce her soul, which is generally interpreted as a reference to her watching the death of her son.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈʔalp mɪnˈfuː.da ˈpsɛj.f‿ɪnˈnɪ.kɛt/

Noun

qalb minfuda b’sejf in-niket f

1. (idiomatic) a grieving heart, broken heart; said of the Virgin Mary, but also generally of a mother who has lost a child