माई री! मोहि कोउ न समुझावै। राम-गवन साँचो किधौं सपनो, मन परतीति न आवै॥ १ ॥ लगेउ रहत मेरे नैननि आगे राम-लखन अरु सीता। तदपि न मिटत दाह या उरको, बिधि जो भयो बिपरीता॥ २ ॥ दुख न रहे रघुपतिहि बिलोकत, तनु न रहे बिनु देखे। करत न प्रान पयान, सुनहु, सखि! अरुझि परी यहि लेखे॥ ३ ॥ कौसल्याके बिरह-बचन सुनि रोइ उठीं सब रानी। तुलसिदास रघुबीर-बिरहकी पीर न जाति बखानी॥ ४ ॥
Mother, no one can make me understand: is Rāma’s departure real or merely a dream? My heart cannot believe it. (1) Rāma, Lakṣmaṇa, and Sītā always seemed present before my eyes, yet the burning in my heart does not cease now that fate has turned contrary. (2) When I behold Raghupati, sorrow cannot remain; without beholding him, the body cannot remain. Yet life does not depart—hear me, friend, I am caught in this contradiction. (3) Hearing Kauśalyā’s words of separation, all the queens burst into tears. Tulsīdāsa says the pain of separation from Raghubīra cannot be described. (4)