I am with
terrorism
Nizar Qabani
We
are accused of terrorism:
if we
defended rose and woman
and
the mighty verse ...
and
the blueness of sky ...
A
dominion .. nothing left therein...
No
water, no air ..
No
tent, no camel,
and
not even dark Arabica coffee!!
We
are accused of terrorism:
if we
defended with guts
the
hair of Balqis
and
the lips of Maysun
if we
defended Hind, and Da`d
Lubna
and Rabab ..
and
the stream of Kohl
coming down from their lashes like the verses of revelation.
You
will not find with me
a
secret poem
or a
secret logos
or
books I put behind doors.
I do
not even have one poem
walking down the street, wearing veil.
We
are accused of terrorism:
if we
wrote about the ruins of a homeland
torn,
weak ...
a
homeland with no address
and
an nation with no names
***
I
seek the remnants of a homeland
none
of its grand poems is left
except the bemoans of Khansa.
***
I
seek a dominion in whose horizons
no
freedom can be found
red
.. blue or yellow.
***
A
homeland forbidding us from bying a newspaper
or
listening to the news.
A
dominion wherein birds are forbidden
from
chirping.
A
homeland wherein, out of terror [ru`b],
its
writers got accustomed to write about
nothing.
A
homeland, in the likeness of poetry in our lands:
It is
vain talk,
no
rhythm,
imported
Ajam,
with a crooked face and tongue:
No
beginning
No
end
No
relation with people's worry
mother earth
and
the crisis of man.
***
A
dominion ...
going
to peace talks
with
no honor
no
shoe.
***
A
homeland,
men
peed in their pans ..
women
are those left to defend honor.
***
Salt
in our eyes
Salt
in our lips
Salt
in our words
Can
the self carry such dryness?
An
inheritance we got from the barren Qahtan?
In
our nation, no Mu`awiya, and no Abu Sufiyan
No
one is left to say "NO"
and
face the quitters
they
gave up our houses, our bread and our [olive] oil.
They
transformed our bright history into a mediocre store.
***
In
our lives, no poem is left,
since
we lost our chastity in the bed of the Sultan.
***
They
got accustomed to us, the humbled.
What
is left to man
when
all that remains
is
disgrace.
***
I
seek in the books of history
Ussamah ibn al-Munqith
Uqba
ibn Nafi`
Omar,
and Hamzah
and
Khalid, driving his flocks conquering the Shem.
I
seek a Mu`tasim Billah
Saving women from the cruelty of rape
and
the fire.
***
I
seek latter days men
All I
can see is frightened cats
Scared for their own souls, from
the
sultanship of mice.
***
Is
this an overwhelming national blindness?
Are
we blind to colors?
We
are accused of terrorism
If we
refuse to die
with
Israel's bulldozers
tearing our land
tearing our history
tearing our Evangelium
tearing our Koran
tearing the graves of our prophets
If
this was our sin,
then,
lo, how beautiful terrorism is?
***
We
are accused of terrorism
if we
refused to be effaced
by
the hands of the Mogul, Jews and Barbarians
if we
throw a stone
at
the glass of the the Security Council
after
the Ceasar of Ceasars got a hold of it.
We
are accused of terrorism
if we
refuse to negociate with the wolf
and
shake the hand with a whore
***
America
Against the cultures of the peoples
with
no culture
Against the civilizations of the civilized
with
no civilization
America
a
mighty edifice
with
no walls!
***
We
are accused of terrorism:
if we
refused an era
America became
the
foolish, the rich, the mighty
translated, sworn
in
Hebrew.
***
We
are accused of terrorism:
if we
throw a rose
to
Jerusalem
to
al-Khalil
to
Ghazza
to
an-Nasirah
if we
took bread and water
to
beleaguered Troy.
***
We
are accused of terrorism:
if we
raised our voices against
the
regionalists of our leaders.
All
changed their rides:
from
Unionists
to
Brokers.
***
If we
committed the heinous crime of culture
if we
revolted against the orders of the grand caliph
and
the seat of the caliphate
If we
read jurisprudence or politics
If we
recalled God
and
read verse al-Fat-h
[that
Chapter of Conquest].
If we
listened to the Friday sermon
then
we are well-established in the art of terrorism
***
We
are accused of terrorism
if we
defended land
and
the honor of dust
if we
revolted against the rape of people
and
our rape
if we
defended the last palm trees in our desert
the
last stars in our sky
the
last syllabi of our names
the
last milk in our mothers' bosoms
if
this was our sin
how
beautiful is terrorism.
I am
with terrorism
if it
is able to save me
from
the immigrants from Russia
Romania, Hungaria, and Poland
***
They
settled in Palestine
set
foot on our shoulders
to
steal the minarets of al-Quds
and
the door of Aqsa
to
steal the arabesques
and
the domes.
***
I am
with terrorism
if it
will free the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth,
and
the virgin, Meriam Betula
and
the holy city
from
the ambassadors of death and desolation
***
Yesteryear
The
nationalist street was fervent
like
a wild horse.
The
rivers were abundant with the spirit of youth.
***
But
after Olso,
we no
longer had teeth:
we
are now a blind and lost people.
***
We
are accused of terrorism:
if we
defended with full-force
our
poetic heritage
our
national wall
our
rosy civilization
the
culture of flutes in our mountains
and
the mirrors displaying blackened eyes.
***
We
are accused of terrorism:
if we
defended what we wrote
El
azure of our sea
and
the aroma of ink
if we
defended the freedom of the word
and
the holiness of books
***
I am
with terrorism
if it
is able to free a people
from
tyrants and tyranny
if it
is able to save man from the cruelty of man
to
return lemon, olive tree, and bird to the South of Lebanon
and
the smile back to Golan
***
I am
with terrorism
if it
will save me
from
the Caesar of Yehuda
and
the Caesar of Rome
***
I am
with terrorism
as
long as this new world order
is
shared
between America and Israel
half-half
***
I am
with terrorism
with
all my poetry
with
all my words
and
all my teeth
as
long as this new world
is in
the hands of a butcher.
***
I am
with terrorism
if
the U.S. Senate
enacts judgment
decrees reward and punishment
***
I am
with Irhab [terrorism]
as
long this new world order
hates
the smell of A`rab.
***
I am
with terrorism
as
long as the new world order
wants
to slaughter my off-spring.
and
send them to dogs.
For
all this
I
raise my voice high:
I am
with terrorism
I am
with terrorism
I
am with terrorism ...
Nizar
Qabbani
London, 15 April 1997.
Nizar.net
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