Tuesday, August 31, 2004

The End by Syrian poet Nasib `Aridah (my translation):
Shroud them!
And bury them!
Place them deep into the grave
and leave, do not mourn them
It is a people that are dead,
and will not awake
It was humiliated,
It was killed,
It was burdened,
beyond its capacity,
It endured humiliation for ages
It is a veteran in humiliation
Violation of honor,
theft of a land,
hanging of some,
did not enrage it
So why waste our tears?
A piece of dead wood will
not live!
No, by God!
A people without a heart
will only be granted death
So let history fold down
a chapter of weakness,
and settle the books
And let us engage in commerce
in exile
And let us brag about
our fine virtues
Why do we care if the entire
people perishes,
Are we not safe!
How many revenge,
how many shame,
how many fire,
have moved the heart of a coward
It is all in us, but it has
only moved our tongue