The word is a homeland
Every time a poem is born
I born in a new world
The dream becomes reality
The word becomes a creation
Between them lies a vast distance
The word is a homeland...
I am drawing it with my own hands!
**
Faith
I believe in God...
And it's shameful to emphasize this faith.
I believe in Jesus
And the Prophet too
I believe in my Gospel
And the Quran
I believe in the unity of a people
Who lived in contentment and love
On the land of Lebanon.
**
The Womb of Eternity
O Stone,
O Bird,
O Beast
And O Son of Man
What happened in Lebanon
Wasn't a war between religions
A homeland will surely be born
From the womb...
For all eternity
Will conceive countries!
**
A cloak of jasmine
Every morning that dawns
And bids farewell to evening
We say:
Everything that happened
Will be forgotten tomorrow.
The land that wore a cloak of jasmine
No matter how much you burn it
With fire and destroy it
It will never be replaced
By the robes of sorrow.
**
A deep wound
You laughed at us so much
And now it's our turn
To heal the deep wound
That shattered our hearts
That made bad time
Turn our lives upside down
And in the hour of reckoning
It rolls up its sleeves to slaughter us.
**
The People’s wolves
-1-
I'm confused about how to begin the poems
And the letters are moaning in my book
From the injustice of people
Who are fanning the flames
And to slaughter us, they formed a gang
But the dignity of a child or an old man
They play with it like a ball
And so that neighbour remains by neighbour
I want to blow up the houses of poetry
And rid my loved ones of the woes
-2-
The dignity of a people
His hands are open
And he's accustomed to doing good
The dignity of a nation
They made into a swing
And rode on its back.
And they prolonged it
The dignity of the cedar tree,
Its branches stripped
Our mother.
Whose worship we worship
The wolves of the people
Will have their souls taken
And we will agree,
Muslims and Christians
And in the air,
We will raise the flag of my country.
-3-
O people, by God,
it has been too long This war
That scattered us in a thousand paths
We watered the world
With the tears of our eyes
And at the same time,
The fire burned within our hearts
And there are no more places in our hands
Our hands are worn out
From the nails of the cross
O Lord, keep Your eye on us
We are the ones who planted high above
The cedar that is called today...
Cedar The Lord.
-4-
Our men sacrificed
So that the land might hear.
What is written in their book:
"These are people whose fire is shining
And no one has defiled the sanctuary
Of their forests
These are the ones
for whom the heart of the cedar’s aches
From the day they departed.
These are the ones
Whose glory is hard to regain
The glory of the world planted in their soil
These are the ones in whose hearts
They fought the cannon
And Lebanon remains a piece of heaven
They were willing to sacrifice
Their finest youth.
-5-
History told how we made the world
A paradise of bliss,
Adorned with its ideas
And all the peoples of the earth bowed
Before freedom and the glory
Of its free men.
And whoever was wronged in a land
Where he was demonized
And could no longer distinguish its night
From its day Her day
He comes to Lebanon. for a happy life
In a land where poetry flows from its poets
What has befallen us?!
Even the scents are foul
And skulls have marred its flowers
And every leader,
With a single word of sedition
Sows hunger, madness, and blood in our land
And then he warms himself
By the flames of its fire?!
-6-
Where have we ended up?!
And why have the roads swallowed us up
And their dust erased our names?!
And every year the sun sets
Bathes in the water of our streams
And shines its laughter...
If we laugh... peoples
And chokes on tears... if we cry
It's a shame the wheel turns upside down
And our old man waits at the port
For the sake of the eye of the angry fox
The worker, the guardian of the land
And the vineyards
Secretly he steals Our world!
-7-
They divided us into streets and squares
And threw hatred into our sweet hearts
Our independence,
Which hadn't even had a chance
To be born... died
They crucified it on your soft jaws
And turned coexistence into a pile of garbage
When we spilled our blood with relish
And the hours began to pass over us
And the hands of the clock
Twisted with anguish
And we were saying goodbye
Here are the naps,
And dreams that died treacherously
In the slumber
For the sake of destroying some of them,
The leaders made our people
Ladders and steps
And religion is the closest path... to wealth.
-8-
Our country...
God created it different from others...
And said: I will support you
I will turn you into a sectarian graveyard
Translate it all the way to hell I'll stone you
I'm a rice dish...
A source of pride for the whole universe
And the smile on my lips
Is reflected in your smile
Your people...
I don't want them to ever carry
An incense burner
And burn incense for the corrupt rulers
Who govern you
This leadership has hearts of stone
They kneel and pray lies during the day
And without pity,
At night they execute you!
-9-
If you ever applauded a leader,
You must quickly cut off your fingers
And shout loudly:
Forgive me, O Merciful One!
Bow your neck and shed your tears.
He is the one
Who made our country live in hell,
He is the one
Who burned your candles on his altar,
He is the one
Who intentionally destroyed
The gardens of bliss,
He is the one who stole
Until you died from Your hunger
And it is from him
That the accursed Satan feared
When he killed our mothers
And burned our homes
And prevented you, my brother,
From achieving your return.
-10-
Your solution is to understand
What I am telling you:
Your country was ruined by its leadership
That knew, my brother,
How to possess its resources.
And a hand on its neck
And before the eyes of the people,
It is You're perishing
And you're selling your harvest to others
Look at the sorrow
That has befallen your child
And hear how her laughter rings
Wake up, please,
Wake up from your ignorance
And give me your hand, put it in mine
So, we can extinguish
The fire of her temptation.
-11-
Give me your hand,
Give me... my brother
In your hand and mine,
The magic is hidden
Our two hands together Oh God
We are doomed,
A group that has lost its way
They lied to us with a thousand lies
And fed us poison from their own breasts
Their poison, religious fanaticism
And black flowers adorning their path
Hurry up so we can carry them together
And throw them into a sea without end
You and I, oh light of my eyes
We must fight this leadership fiercely
And unsheathe the sword of our rights
With my heart.
-12-
You and I...
The ones who save the future
From the injustice
That scattered us in this exile
And the burden of worry
Weighs heavily on our chests
And the fire consumes your heart and mine
You and I...
Our land is our capital
And our treasures are the grains of this soil
That cannot be bought,
My friend, with money
Nor gifted in a package or box
And not a day has passed that I was content
To have a false messiah buried
Within it... Nor has it ever welcomed His lie
Come on, let's achieve our hopes
And wipe away the veil of their cursed hatred
And cultivate and sow our land with love.
-13-
I know...
I'm writing in my poetry my end...
And my end is martyrdom
I'm stealing days from my life
And all the days of my life are glories
I don't care if they stab my chest
I don't care if My body has turned to ash
What matters to me...
Is that my grave will not be opened
Except in my homeland...
And it will be written above it:
Died to redeem a people and a country...
**
Lebanon burned
-1-
.. And I travelled
Like those before me who travelled
And built another homeland.
On land.
That knows neither civilization nor knowledge
On land.
That has yet to taste peace
And with two small gestures
They began to change the nature of people
That is still stone!
When one tribe rejoiced,
They would illuminate the hills
Of the other tribe.
When one tribe grieved,
They would seek out
The grief of another tribe!
And after a long time,
All the tribes united
And they established the laws
Of the homeland
Everyone revered them
And they grew together.
Together they became
Their power reached the moon
And if they held a stone,
The stone would become a building!
And if they blew air,
The air would become a person!
-2-
.. And I travelled
Like those before me who travelled
To embellish and photograph
And fabricate countries
That would be a copy of Mount Lebanon.
The countries multiplied,
The countries prospered,
And we became,
If we stepped on the sea
We increased the sea's faith
But alas, from the oppression
The people of Lebanon were scattered
And Lebanon burned!
**
It's a shame that I left him
It's a shame that I left him
And went away.
He who was the heart of the universe
The nicest colour
And more beautiful than the most beautiful.
I haven't forgotten his good deeds.
And it's hard to forget
I'm being harsh on you, my son
On the sparkle in your eyes
But I'm not being harsh on him
I see him when I sleep wounded.
And his wounds are transparent,
Filled with words.
And they are ashamed
They reveal the secret
Of those who have gone or are leaving
From the injustice of these days!
**
I won't believe it.
I won't believe...
Yes. I won't believe
That my country has become a jungle
And my people have turned into a ball
And the pure salt of love has spoiled...
And the sleeping one is still sleeping
And that the child who is still young
On his lips Seasons upon seasons change
And he doesn't change
With the smile of his teeth,
He gleams a thousand stars...
I won't believe that with a bullet...
been shot by the heartless one
He dies...
And the killer is still alive
May God blind their hearts.
This is upsetting.
**
The Ornament of Names
-1-
O my homeland...
O Ornament of Names
From the day they killed you
And threw you with hatred
Names were ashamed
And names were erased!
-2-
And we are the ones who were torn away
From your land
Woven with our tears
And cries in exile
We drew you a homeland
And made you our home
In you we found happiness,
Joy and contentment
Charbel and Ahmad
Maarouf and Hanna
-3-
O my homeland.
O my lofty goal
Do not fear the thief
Who is stealing names
After you, in our exile,
We are surrounded with our love
And with our unity
No matter how harsh the world becomes
Or how great the Day of Judgment arrives!
**
My Mother
-1-
.. And I remember you, my mother,
Like a hearth
I remember you like a clay oven
I remember you like a support cushion
And a house without walls
I remember you like a heart,
Giving, and flowers
-2-
.. And I remember you and say:
If only death were nearer than remembrance
My tears wouldn't be flowing like rivers
Nor my blood like fire
Oh, my mother, scattered in the cold
What has become of you?
With the one before
What happened next?
By squeezing the rock as fine as sand
And The house is collapsing
**
They betrayed the homeland
-1-
I left my country in an hour of despair
Even now, my tears witness
That my return would have been possible
If it weren't for that flood
Hidden in human hatred
Like a boat adrift in the wild sea
-2-
Lebanon,
For which I was consumed by love
And jealous of even the breeze
Burned at the hands of its own people
Burned...
What good are words now?!
And these young men who were raised
To lead the nation
They betrayed the homeland
And hid behind a religion that is not loved
Except that which unites hearts
And they started talking about division
Setting up boundaries between people.
Meaning, our brother-in-law Mahmoud
The one we consider our dearest beloved
He must divorce and leave
Mariana. My cousin!
-3-
And their only son, Isam,
Half Christian
Half Muslim
What do you want... blindly?
A fair division
So that we may please his father
Or so that we do not upset his mother?!
-4-
And we, who left years ago,
And in our hearts, the longing still burns
Night and day
We will not go along with a decision
That will stain our hands with shame
And burn the religion of the expatriates!
**
Maniacs
-1-
When I speak to you
Don't say, "This is a Christian"
When I speak to you
Don't say, "This is a Muslim"
I don't speak to you
Nor do words come from my tongue
Unless I speak to you
Lebanese, son of a Lebanese...
-2-
Let's go back a bit
And talk about what used to happen
In the days of Gamal Abdel Nasser
The great leader of the people
Was victorious and a rebel
Thinked he was powerful
To marry and divorce countries
Like men and women
He wanted to try his luck in Lebanon
And kick the ball around
And after a while
He admitted that Lebanon
Is full of parties and religions
Like a corn cob!
And he said his famous words:
"It's impossible for Lebanon
To remain a bridge
And a beacon for all
if the leaven goes bad!"
-3-
The Christians in Lebanon
Love all Arabs
Despite all their problems
Even Solomon the Prophet
Who they call clever
If he returned in this time
He would be unable to unite them
-4-
Money is wasted
In the land of the cedars
And on top of the wound,
We add more wounds
And the mothers' eyes weep
Every time a small child is kidnapped
We hear... and read early:
“In a country called Lebanon
A lot of crime is happening
One side killed so-and-so's son
And apparently, a big leader
Then they went to another side too
And tied up
They picked up a small child
And on the heel of the sweetest cedar
They slaughtered him like a goat!
-5-
O crucified Jesus,
O Messenger of the believers,
You didn't know how to raise nations,
You only knew how to raise maniacs.
And every time the light shines upon me,
I will raise my head high in the sky,
Asking you in the name of religion,
And by the Gospel and the Quran,
If you're upset, make up your minds.
If you're in agreement,
It's a shame not to help Lebanon.
**
The Donkey People
-1-
.. And they used to say,
"The land of goodness,
This is my land,
The land of the breeze,
The land of birds,
And the calm atmosphere!"
-2-
.. And they used to say,
"My land is a piece of heaven,
By God,
If it weren't for the loyalty of my ancestors,
It wouldn't have been divided!"
-3-
..And they kept singing its praises
Until it became a dream
And in the end.
They doubted it banners of blood
-4-
And the people who died
Became great stories
Told by neighbour to neighbour
About a donkey people
-5-
He was content to burn his home
With an angry heart
And he was content to drive his nail
Into the back of Lebanon!
**
Mongols
Enough...
Enough...
This is a lie...
It's unbelievable!
A baby girl was killed
And they started passing her around
Like a Mongol!
What was her sin,
Tell me, listener?!
What was her sin,
Yes, tell me, listener?!
Her soul with the Creator above
And those who have no shame or mercy
One across her,
One lengthwise her,
One below her,
And one above her,
Oh God,
We've lost faith in you,
In the end they cut her in half!
**
What's your religion?
You ask me what my religion is,
And you have no shame?!
You wound God's heart...
Religion...
Isn't the property of humans
Who play with its name
Like fate plays with it
Religion... belongs to God
Meaning,
The pious one
Who has dedicated his life
And with love,
He has adorned himself
He will reach God
However, he prays!
**
Right... Left
I don't understand right
I don't understand left
I understand that fire must be stopped
No matter what happens
So that those who are dying like this
Didn't come into existence
With a ring or Aladdin's lamp!
These are my loving people
These are my neighbours
Meaning. no matter how the wheel turns
And they talk and fabricate news
They will remain Lebanese
They will remain Lebanese
They will remain Lebanese
**
Donate...
-1-
Donate...
The child is hungry
And our old man is homeless
And who is more generous
And kinder than you?
O heart, wider than the widest world!
-2-
Donate...
It doesn't matter if you are Muslim
Or Christian,
Lebanon is yours
No religion owns it!
-3-
Dollar... ten... thousands... all good
The important thing is to stand strong
Against the wind
That is tearing the homeland apart
And sowing ruin, tears,
And suffering in its land
We strangle the crow of separation
With our own hands
And quench the thirst
Of our hands with its blood...
-4-
Donate...
There are people dying
From lack of medical aid
From injustice...
Our homes without medicine or food
And we fear for our children
And you who live in exile
O light of my eyes
Every time Lebanon asks
You overflow with tenderness
And every time a person cries
You say: O my brother
Yes.. you became for the homelands
A divine blessing.
-5-
Donate.
O heart, wider than the widest world.
**
My heart is a homeland
-1-
Why, oh Lord,
did you let my heart burn
And darken?
And none but you, oh Lord,
Has ever dwelt in my heart.
Never have you wounded it
With the thorns of hatred,
Nor have you spread the dust
Of the earth upon its cheeks.
My heart is a homeland planted with love.
It is a shame, oh Lord,
That a homeland should be destroyed.
-2-
If you ever heard from me,
Even a small word that hurt you...
Damn it,
I was a little bit on the wound, I bit it
And I vowed. I knelt and prayed
And I started glorifying your name and singing
So that you could expel people
Who are in agreement
To eliminate a poor and helpless people
They close their eyes in the name of religion
In the name of Arabism, gold, and gasoline
In the name of the dollar and everything, there are hypocrites
In the name of sovereignty
And civilization and certainty
In the name of justice.
In the name of all the deprived
In the name of the cause.
In the name of displaced people
And like a watermelon on a knife
They slaughter him on his doorstep
And they distribute his clothes
Despite his wound and his suffering
He kneels and says to you:
"O Lord of the universe
This is how you have decreed
And we are content with your judgment
This is how you have ordained it
And we are the obedient servants
And from whom else but you,
Tell us, from whom else?
Do we seek help from, O Lord?!"
-3-
By the heavens and the earth,
They're deceived
And like herds being led
By men they call men of religion
By the lying, deceitful politicians
They sold our blood for millions
And canned our flesh like cattle
Like tuna and sardines
And we,
Whom you forced to be created as humans
Because of our fear of the Day of Judgment
We bow down before you:
"Is it reasonable that they have an excuse?
Is it reasonable?
Grant them forgiveness, O Lord?!"
-4-
.. And what can I tell you,
O Lord, about Beirut?
The city of coral and rubies?
They stole its shops
And demolished its buildings
And they prayed
And fasted for a month until it died
But it's impossible for it to die
The city that is allowed to speak
And whenever it wants to laugh and cry
And raise its hands to the sky
And complain
In the East.
Stomping on its nose Tyrant
In the East...
He prepared a coffin for all its inhabitants!
-5-
Beirut... It is the wedding
and the bride and groom
And it is the drum and the flute
Were it not for its nights of dancing,
There would be no
Nor would a belly and waist sway
And how joy stays awake on its shores
Conversing with the waves of the sea
And if the moon is ever bored
And feels a little bit of sorrow
It goes down to pick flowers from a garden
Sleeping on the bank of a river
And sits composing
About a mountain Lebanon
The Sweetest Poems.
-6-
Beirut. Oh Beirut.
Oh, city adorned.
And lacking nothing in adornment
For nineteen years
I've been dreaming of you at night
Your words are written on my forehead
Live my life in separation and woe
Drink my tears and eat my years?!
-7-
Beirut... Oh Beirut... I miss you
And I wouldn't care
If you were destroyed
And I wouldn't care
If they displaced your people
And slaughtered your child
Before your very eyes
What matters to me is that you remain
Steadfast in your faith
In your cedars,
In your Sannine,
In your Lebanon
And in all your religions
And don't despair
If you despair
It will be a fatal blow to us
It will extinguish our hope
And the light of our eyes...
-8-
What can I tell you
About a young man named "South"?
About a young man as dark as the basil leaves
About a young man like no other,
The likes of whom have never been created
They beat him a million times
And they flog him a million times
And they create from him
A thousand "crucified" ones!
What can I tell you, O Lord, O Almighty?
About the cruelty of the infidels
They sealed his memory
With the name "Wrathful"
And wrote two small sentences on his chest:
"He is condemned to see destruction
With his own eyes,
And to sow and plant wars on all his lands
So that if he is hungry and thirsty, O Lord
He is forbidden to drink anything
But blood and fire
And he is forbidden to wear anything
But humiliation and shame!"
-9-
I knocked on your door
For years and years
And you wouldn't hear me
I started screaming like the cries of a fetus
Coming against its will
In a world...
It's hard to benefit from it
In a world...
Whose inhabitants have perished
And gone mad
And you can no longer say:
These are oppressed
These are Christians...
And some of them are Muslims
And these are scattered, dispersed Jews
And these are Tatars
These are Nawars
These a group of monotheists
All of them, O Lord, are unjust
All of them are tyrants
They don't believe in the Gospel
They don't believe in the Quran
Not even in the Torah
And they don't consider the Day of Judgment!
-10-
I am hopeless about my situation,
I am hopeless even unto death
And my voice is hoarse
I scream among these deaf people
Perhaps someone will hear my scream
Someone still believes in you wholeheartedly.
Extend my hand and clasp his
And everything you desire, O Lord
I will carry it out with sacrifice and faith
On one condition...
Forgive me if I stipulate
That it serves the interest of Lebanon...
**
Khaled Kahoul
(While a military vehicle was transporting a number of Lebanese soldiers to the military headquarters in Yarzeh, they were stopped by armed men. The gunmen ordered the Christian soldiers to get out and the Muslim soldiers to continue on their way. However, soldier Khaled Kahoul from Barja stood in their path and shouted: "We are soldiers of Lebanon, and there is no distinction between Muslim and Christian among us. If you want to kill them, kill us all." The gunmen were embarrassed and let the soldiers go.)
Beirut - Annahar
-1-
No matter how far, Lebanon,
The horses of war roam
You will remain eternally protected
And the cedars on your borders
Will remain telling the legend of Lebanon
About the life of your Christians
And your Muslims...
Throughout the ages.
And he who sang of you
will return singing...
And in the nights of love
Nothing but prayer will speak to you
-2-
We cried...
And the tears dried by the seas
We said: They succeeded in our division
And they stifled our love
And by chance...
In the night of hardship...
A light shines upon us in our exile.
-3-
An unknown Lebanese soldier!
Confirmed... Glory to Fakhr al-Din
Impersonated by Khaled Kahoul
This towering eagle, always soaring
Who, in times of crisis, says:
"Kill me... I'm not afraid
With my Christian brothers
We have no sects
We are soldiers for all of Lebanon
Who will remain high and protected
No matter how strong the storms"
-4-
In my name...
In the name of the oppressed
I tell you, Khalid Kahoul
May your name be glorified forever
In times of hardship...
O protector of worries
O balm for the hearts of mothers
O intercessor for the exiled
**
Resist
Resist, my people, resist!
It's not right for you to remain peaceful.
They sold your blood for dollars.
And filled your tears with tissues.
And they have an abundance of caviar.
And you, from hunger, are fasting!
Don't believe them,
No matter what happens.
They're worn out with lies.
Carry the sword of fire in your hand.
Stand on the sun, ladders.
And say: O land of the free,
I will gift you a laurel wreath.
And a bouquet of music and poems.
That will disturb the ruler's eye!
**
My homeland, Lebanon
-1-
Oh, my homeland, what has become
Impossible to happen
Fire is reaping you
And hardship is enveloping you
In exile, night and day
We are drawing pictures
Of your mighty cedars
And of your humiliated people
Oh, my homeland, Lebanon
-2-
Two eyes are weaving you
With the spindles of joy
Two hands are writing you
On the pages of hope
No matter how much
The raven of separation has flown
And grew rich
Your land will remain for two:
God and us.
O my homeland Lebanon.
**
The History of Our Migration
-1-
Your land is my bed,
Your air is my blanket,
And your worries are a cross
That breaks my shoulders
If we rejoice in the history of our migration
Don't think we love our exile
O my homeland, displaced and barefoot
-2-
We rejoice in the dignity of a mother
Who embraced us.
When we cried,
She loved our pride.
When we were cold,
She covered us with feathers
And put us to sleep in her lap
The warm one.
-3-
With our success,
The first thing that congratulated us
And received our service with gratitude
Australia.
The name on my lips
Our free and hospitable land.
**
Peacock
-1-
You... yes you,
The one who stays up late
And your glass stays up with you
Happily, Sitting there getting drunk?!
Goodness is in your jars
And your door is locked
And you never have a headache
How lucky is your heart,
How can it not get bored?!
2-
You... you who walk on marble
And your neck is tired of jewels
And you walk like a peacock...
Strutting about,
I'm ashamed to speak to you
I'm ashamed to speak to you
You're so small... so small,
Even smaller than the smallest!
**
Devils
-1-
.. And I remember the past
The days when religion
suffered from its men
Who were corrupt
Fabricating sultans!
Two-thirds of them were mad
And their brains were empty!
-2-
.. And years passed over us
The poor people are still
Not understanding religions
That they are prayer and reverence
And shelves of saints
Lighted their lives with candles
On the altar of the Judge!
-3-
.. And after, in the name of religion,
They are creating tyrants
In human form
But in the deeds of Satan
And for this reason,
The fire is reaping Lebanon
And being possessed by demons!
4-
Wake up, my people
Before the flood
Swept away the love
That has been deeply rooted
in our hearts for so long.
5-
Give me your hand, give it
So that I may clasp yours
The era of fanaticism is dead
Wake up, my brother
The Gospel and the Quran
Did not interpret religions
As religious fanaticism
6-
And be certain...
Islam is the brother of Christianity
And in the end times
The power The Divine One
Who directs the universe
According to her taste
Unites humanity
In a heavenly paradise
-7-
And let us all say:
Bow down, our necks
To the prophets forever
To Muhammad and Jesus
And wash away, by tears
The filth of our world.
**
Return
-1-
We long for you, my country,
We long for the cool mornings
And the sun that awakens us
With its magical rays
For the birds that steal from us
And pluck its red figs
We long for our banners to flutter
Above the protected land
That we tilled and sweated for
That we guarded night and day
So that it may remain Lebanese
-2-
Oh, my family... Oh expatriates
My poems, full of feeling
They heard them...
And hid them for years
In hearts where people dwell
For my country,
Where sensitive souls reside
They sang to us without measure
Return... Oh dearest lovers
In exile, we remain poor
No matter how much diamonds cover us!
**
And what's the end result?
-1-
.. And what's the end result?!
A handful of years have passed
And the raven of separation
Is still shaking its feathers
In a land lost between
The ambitions of “Hanna” and “Zain”
And it choked on its own blood!
-2-
.. And what's the end result?!
And our children,
Who have the right to sleep
And dream of light
Will stay awake in the darkness
From the sheer number of oppressions,
They have suffered
In a land of injustice
And drowning in seas
Of lies and selfishness
Of financial deals
Of deceit and fraud!
-3-
..And what will be the end result?!
No house remains with us
Standing against the wind
Calling out to the silent one:
If only they had drawn a line
Between falsehood and truth
My light wouldn't be so dim
Nor would my wall have cracked
"Oh, our house, cast aside on the roads
And your loved ones are scattered
And on your doorstep
The love of virtue died
And was buried in your dust
For the days will never relent
From their injustice the intended meaning
And rulers change in the name of the people
Even worms are disgusted by them...
-4-
...And what will be the end result?!
Sometimes so-and-so is satisfied
And sometimes he attacks
And Lebanon is burning
And skulls are flying
We don't know whose?!
Neighbours who lived their lives
Always united
They didn't ask about religion
Their religion was faith and pride
In the cedars and the mountains
But in a moment of despair
They walked the path of treachery
With a band of devils
-5-
.. And what was the end result?!
The days left us
Swimming softly in a sea of sin
And forgot the traces of our laughter
From the glow of our laughter
From the colour of the sweetest clouds
Passed over our hill
"I remembered the torrents of hatred
That swept us away long ago
And swept away the letters of glory
From our page!"
-6-
..And what was the end result?!
And we're still in Lebanon
We bow down to so-and-so
We worship so-and-so
And we go around in his orbit
Man, God created man
So that he may raise his banner
And glorify Him
Alone, the God of love and power
From his breath, he bends
The greatest leader...
And from the dust of his wind
His supporters scatter like flies
-7-
...And what will be the end result?!
We're all drained of blood
From all our suffering
And our troubles have increased
We're lost in the corners of darkness
The sun is no longer the sun
Nor does its light shine
Even yesterday's songs
We can barely hear them
We've become the torment of the soul
And we've become sighs
And if a wedding were to pass by
We'd tear down the decorations
-8-
.. And what will be the end of it all?!
And we are the ones who are losing
This land and our loved ones
Who have turned to dust
So that the vile,
Deceitful leader can strut about
Above it
He whose mouth is full of fangs
Whose dagger is jiggled
-9-
I wish I could save my country
From all its pain
From the deceit of its rulers
From the kissing of hands
And I wish I could buy with my blood
The security of all the people
And replace the "tribe"
And sanctifies "the nation"
And unite my people
Then, no army can occupy us anymore.
-10-
.. And what's the end result?!
We're fed up with talk, people
We're fed up with drinking and the glass
We're fed up with love and flowers
We're fed up going to mosque at dawn
Or attending Mass
We're fed up with continuing this life
Empty of feeling.
**
Stupid men
-1-
Always, O Lebanon
I see you in my dreams
I find the cedars sad
And the people's hearts bleeding
-2-
And a handful of stupid men
Deifying names
Henchmen or eunuchs
They have no dignity
-3-
They have no faith
The rule becomes sublime
They elect whoever is
A thief after a thief
**
The Loud Voice
1-
My voice is very loud,
O my wounded homeland
It roars through the nights
That wound you deeply
And scribbles your name like an image
On the hands of the world
And the wind colours you
2-
I am trying to gather a star
O my homeland Lebanon
So that with its light
I may pierce the darkness
Sown wherever it may be
And let the people see
What is hidden to Revealed
And the Human Being Within You
-3-
The Years You Lived
I Don't Consider Them Years
I Saw Them, I Saw Them
Hennaing Your Forehead
And Telling You:
You Are the Remaining One
In the Rocks and the Streams
And in the Hearts of the Forgotten
-4-
You Are the Greatest Dream
And the Unharvested Fruit
O Spring That Gushes Out
From my eyes to my cheeks
If Time fades away
And what was will never return
I will remain the loudest voice
And the universe is my domain
And your boundaries are my boundaries!
**
Pottery breaks pottery
-1-
I'm afraid of those who stood in my way
Who poked their fingers in my eyes
Who poured lies into my religion
Who threw me into a crazy world
The people who are selling themselves
To the devil who stood before them
Stripped of fig leaves
Until they became like shadows
Of their imagination
Walking while they are terrified!
-2-
I planted flowers in their paths
They plucked the flowers and laughed at me
I gave them wine from my well
They drank the wine and clung to me
What can I do, my Lord?
They own the land...
I own the exile.
Save me from their oppression...
Stand a terrifying giant at my door
Who knows the secrets of the game!
-3-
Their numbers... ate my numbers
And their calculations...
Covered my calculations
And my days grew long in their eyes
They plucked at the strings of my nerves
They thought my madness was near
And my nerves would tire from the plucking
And they didn't know
That when I'm suffering
My life is renewed with my suffering!
-4-
They stole the bread from my table
And left my children screaming
They told me: Feed them,
For your honour is in the womb
So that your honour may multiply
The one who has no children
Kills to amass wealth
He doesn't care if his children perish
He only cares if this world is in chaos!
-5-
I'm afraid their hands will grow long,
And the alienation
And its inhabitants will grow longer.
I'm afraid their crimes will reach their peak,
And destroy the love of humanity.
I'm afraid of unknown things,
Of people created in the night,
Their eyes wide open and dazed,
And on their lips, cries of woe.
-6-
If only I could create from myself,
A world that knows what's going on.
It happened
Perhaps I was reassuring myself
And planting day behind the night
But they're all distracted
And dying of joy
I warned them...
They said: Poor thing
Pottery breaking pottery!
-7-
Where are they?!
Where are they?!
What happened to them
Their glories were shining
The earth is filled with their loved ones
And their minds are still the same?!
They didn't know the past doesn't return
And the present can't be bowed down
And no matter how hard they run,
Death is swifter
And their end is a gift to evil?!
-8-
Where are they?!
Where are those who were
The world was awakened by their words
And the heart that lost its faith
Will find its faith in their stories?!
They are lost, for their glory is lost
And they have become merchandise
To be sold.
And their homes are shared with others
And thorns cover their paths
-9-
O my people standing in darkness
And the light is in your lamp
Waiting until you speak a word
That shines and grows as big as a star
Or shrinks and becomes a torch
They slaughtered you...
And they painted their shoes
They sold you out.
And filled their coffers
And you're still listening to their stories
Kill them. Oh, my people. Kill them
-10-
If only you knew the story
Whose letters were written in blood
The one they haven't even finished yet
And they weren't ashamed
Of a mother's tear,
Or of a little child's cry,
Begging from extreme hunger
Standing at the door
The tears flowed down his cheeks,
And poison boiled in his heart.
-11-
Oh, if only our past would return,
And displacement would erase the memory.
We left our handkerchiefs at the port,
Perhaps tomorrow will welcome us.
We left them with raised banners,
Telling our story with tears.
Perhaps justice will awaken
And wipe the dust out of its face.
-12-
They prayed for you.
And they prayed for me..
And it wouldn't matter
If they assassinated me
As long as you remain in me
The heart.
The soul.
And the light of my eyes
I told you a word before
I saw you above the word passing by
And your eyes were covered.
And the thief Is stealing from the pantry!
-13-
Forge a dagger from your braids
Prick them in their chests, don't delay
Their hands have choked your breath
And their crimes are growing stronger
Help me, unite your mass
With your worship,
So that your body may grow
And they may fear your stature
Before the giant, my people
All the rulers will shrink.
**
They're all in agreement
-1-
All of them...
Yes, all of them are in agreement
Left and right
They amuse themselves with people's lives
And destroy the poor people
-2-
Beware... Beware, no matter what happens
Don't walk with a group of Tatars
We must burn them with fire
With a heart of stone that won't soften
-3-
Open your eyes so you can see
Everything is out in the open
We're getting beaten Swords
And here they are, in their palace, rejoicing
-4-
Muslim. Christian. it doesn't matter
You have a father and a mother
You have blood in your veins
Your kingdom. not the kingdom of devils
-5-
Don't stand idly by in front of me
And get distracted by a high position
In your house there is a thief
Stealing in the name of religion
-6-
Don't tell me: A conceited poet
Seeking fame and the glory of palaces
I am writing so that my people may revolt
And slaughter with their fingernails
The madmen
**
South Lebanon
1-
You are the giant...
You are the flame that shines
In the night of humiliation
You are the harvest yearning
For the harvester's hands
You are the dream in our nights
And the blood that flows within us
O my South, you will remain steadfast
No matter how harsh everyone is on you
2-
Without you, what good is the land
Lebanon in its length and breadth
We must stand together, O South
And we will erase from your face the wars
That left your child displaced
And walking in the darkness
And on the Golgotha of black hatred
Punched with the stones of malice
Your people are humiliated and crucified
-3-
Our loss. is always a gain
Don't think about our loss
Tomorrow you will hear the beating of drums
When we declare our unity
Our world from The Unthinkable
Your land is our paradise
We tamed horses from the wind
We shaped the sun with our banner
And no matter
How much the enemy's horses roam
Our arena will bring them to their knees.
-4-
Keep resisting no matter what happens
Your loved ones in this world are many
You are the breeze we breathe
And the sun that is stolen
Above my mountains
And from the fur of the clouds Blue
Weaving my shawl.
-5-
If poetry were rifles
I would have armed you with my poetry
And drawn a million hands for you
To defend your interests
Oh, my child, the new creation
And I haven't yet carried you
I will make you the most beautiful celebration
And gather for you the flowers of the universe
And weave you a mattress for your bed.
-6-
Your freedom. my bread and sustenance
And the ultimate goal of all my aims
I don't want money or rubies
Nor to be adorned with stars
I want the invader who is still occupying
To die on your land
And I will make him a coffin
With my own hands
From the curses of young children
Who have had their fill of wars,
Blood, and fire
And long for God's mercy.
**
Lebanon is my father
-1-
Today is Father's Day... Oh Father
Oh homeland...
You are moaning every night
For a lifetime I have been saving up for you
So that I may present them on this day...
A gift.
But poetry cannot feed the hungry
Nor can a song comfort the grieving
No matter how much your eyes
Shed tears of sorrow
I have imprisoned joy within my eyes
And no matter how much exile changes Man
You sow in his mind a false news
It remains for you: Generations from Lebanon
Glorify you, O Cedar, every day
And absence, shame on the eye,
Wherever it may be,
With their arms, countries are built
And the leaps of his image...
Drawn by an artist,
In it is happiness...
In it is a joyful people
The divine paradise has returned to him...
-2-
Today is the feast of the father...
O My eyes.
Oh, you who pass through mad days
How can I celebrate your holiday
When the fire is reaping the family
Who raised me,
And the dollar has seized power
Over all people.
The bellies of humanity are mortgaged
To the West
And on your cheeks,
The wicked have pitched their tents,
And under the tents... bodies are buried
I swear to you by the cedars...
No matter what happens
Do not despair of victory...
Do not collapse.
You are still hanging like an icon
On our chests.
-3-
Today is the holiday of the father...
Oh, my love.
Oh homeland...
They pounded your drums in my heart
Feuded by my blood...
Blood on your account
In every drop, I planted love
See the sorrow in the eyes
Of your absent ones
Telling the stories of their difficult days
How they knelt for years at your gates
Knocking on their chests...
The request returns
Oh... What is it?
What happened to you?
You no longer call out:
"Return, my people!"
They took what was in you
And scattered your loved ones.
You whose soil yearns for your soil...
It's a shame to bury your people in exile!
**
Our country
-1-
Our country...
Where dreams have abandoned
After a dream,
We only dream when we sleep
We toss and turn...
And we long for it.
And we say:
Tomorrow the days will return
Tell me, O God:
What has become of its people
That they have forgotten virtue
And encouraged crime?
Our lips are parched with longing,
And our hearts are bleeding with pain.
No matter how much the leadership
Drowns in ignorance,
Lebanon remains for all its inhabitants,
Druze, Christians, and Islam.
-2-
How much have we come to love it?
How much? A land...
They crucified it on the line of fire
A land they led to ruin
And even now it's ignorant of what happened
You'd die there if you ever asked:
Why did they kill mothers
While we held babies in our arms?
You'd die there if you asked:
Where is the army?
And how did its division happen
In a single day?
Even if I die for the sake of my country,
It doesn't matter.
The important thing
Is that my homeland remains Lebanon,
And wipe the shame
From its brow with my blood.
**
Where are you?
Independence Day Festival, presented by the Cedars of Lebanon Folkloric Groupe - Sydney 1988
-1-
Where are you?
I'm asking you... Answer me!
Has your eye ever been able
To fight back tears?!
And the fire... Oh Independence!
Is burning in my heart
From people who worshipped money
And on the threshing floor of treachery
They gathered a nation and its people
So that the broker could pamper
The Lebanese people!
-2-
They Sang to you...
Until the reeds grow hoarse
And turn green from the sound of anger
O word that will never be forgotten
No matter how much sorrow wounds us
And no matter how much the owl hoots
The sun of truth will remain
And we will walk in your light
Until we reach Sannine
Until we reach Beirut
To our Akkar... and Jezzine
To cedars that never die
To Tripoli... And Shouf
For Jbeil, the cradle of letters
For the shores of Naqoura
For the olive trees of Koura
For Tyre, the mother of light
For Sidon, for Damour
For Baalbek, the quarry
For the South, which does not kneel
It makes the cannon kneel
Stay, O Independence
A celebration and joy for children
Playing in the sun
And decorating the playground
-3-
And the Cedars of Lebanon band
Sang for you by abandonment,
You left a people humiliated,
Rejoicing at the dawn's arrival,
And you, the dawn itself,
Awaken your windows,
Absent ones rejoiced in you,
And danced to the beat of drums.
-4-
Where are you,
Where are you?!
With the pride of our hearts
You never became a dragon
Nor did you agree to slaughter us
No matter how much the crow of separation
Strips us of our dignity
We are the people of Lebanon
Countries change
Crowns fly away
And we remain...
**
The Blood of the Martyr
-1-
The blood of the martyr
Is like wheat in the earth
Growing to give flour to the people
Growing to destroy the armies of hatred
That trampled the necks
Of the innocent with their feet.
-2-
Were it not for the martyr,
My lands would not have been watered
Nor would the crops have sprouted
In our hands.
Nor would our present
And past remain with us,
And running would not be entangled
In our feet!
-3-
We would be nothing
On the margins of time,
And we're ashamed to bear our names
Were it not for the martyr
Who slept in the trenches
And his only concern was to protect us.
-4-
There is no identity of a people in the world
That he didn't seal with his finger
The candle of his youth,
Cursed by darkness
Lighted on the altar
Of my country's cedar.
-5-
And there are no people left
In their land for a day
Without him the testimony
And sacrifice of heroes
Not a single eyelid of man tasted sleep
Without dignity
And the glory of independence.
**
A Letter from a Martyred Lebanese Soldier
Festival in Support of the Families of Lebanese Army Martyrs 9/19/2014
-1-
From here... from Arsal
I'm writing a letter
To the one who lives in my heart
My loving mother, whose tears are a waterfall
And whose blessings are a capital.
I tell her: Oh, my eyes
Don't worry about me
The valleys are my bed
And the blanket is mountains
I stay up all night for my country
For the laughter of my children
And beside me, Mama, are men...
The one who dies...
Is not said to have died
For the blood of the martyr, words kneel
And mothers ululate
For our heroic soldiers
-2-
Do you remember, Mama
When I lost my blood
In the Nahr al-Bared camp
The weather was cold
And the monsters were many
More cursed than the Tatars
I didn't know who donated their blood
Muslim... Christian... No one cared
Until my blood became a people
Flowing in the veins
Until my blood became Heart
And the heart's name is... Lebanon
-3-
Mother... if I die
You'll decorate the houses
And raise the cedar
On your doorstep
With my death... be proud
And don't show your grief
A bullet... if it enters
My chest is not my concern
My concern... O sweetest mother
May Beirut not be wounded.
-4-
Don't be afraid of hunger
If the bridge of the house is gone
The one that lit his life with candles
His coffin will be drenched with holy oil.
In the army...
No mother is humiliated
In the army...
No children go hungry
If we are wounded
We have those who are absent behind us
And there are the Lebanese people
-5-
And before he could finish his message
And reassure us about his condition
They slaughtered the hero!
The hero died!
And to kiss his body...
The mountain trembled
And shook from the intensity of the sorrow
And from the depths of her sleeplessness
Reading the pure message
They heard the ululations of hope.
-6-
...And she gazed towards the sea
And her voice covered the anguish
And she cried:
Oh brother, the one who is separated
The orphans' sorrow is blood
Wiped the mother's tears
And she fell asleep on the doorstep
The letter she smelled
And its sentence in the letter of her blood
This crimson red:
"There are those who are absent behind us
And there are a Lebanese people"
**
Me and My Father
Festival in Support of the Families of Lebanese Army Martyrs 9/19/2014
-1-
I saw you in my dream, carrying my likeness
Kneeling in prayer... your eyes on me
And in a despairing, extinguished,
And hoarse voice
I asked you: What do you want...
Tell me, Father?
You whispered to me:
Why is the homeland wounded
And its ancient cedars bowed down?
Why does the hero end up slaughtered?
The army of the nation is a divine blessing
I fear, my son, that the country will be lost
And vanish behind a mirage of dust
Write me a poem that will bring down
The highest edifices
Built on sandy shores
Lebanon is my home... not Noah's Ark
Gathered people... to betray me
Tell them:
I don't want a single mother to mourn
For her children... in a political game
I always see the grave open
Heroes sacrificing their lives for the homeland
To bring back the heavenly smile.
-2-
Stop, my father... Your demand is a volcano
And your son is a stranger
In the darkness of abandonment
And how can I fulfil it...
And life will end... Or ended long ago
I wrote poetry... Poetry was useless
Not a single word could defeat the devil
We have a leadership wrapped in depravity
And we have a people drunk on their love
Living their years in tears and oppression
And despite the torment...
He's happy living without a president...
And the palace is in ruins
And the parliament is corrupt and broken
And our soldiers are being slaughtered
And not a single eyelid flinched
The blood of heroes has become worthless
And heads are being sold in shops
They suffocated a nation that wanted
To keep up with the times
No electricity, no water for the thirsty
And sectarianism is eating them up
They forgot the meaning of religion and faith
The house of worship
Is distributing blasphemy
And killing man with man
And we, my father, here we became the pride
And the universes learned in our ranks
We ruled the world...
They showered us with flowers
And in our land, the neighbours are fighting
I'll say it from the rooftop... Let it roar
Lebanon needs men, not eunuchs
The thickest moustache has no hair left
I wish... for once...
A woman would rule you.
I couldn't declare victory over the leadership
Living alone... in my exile, despairing
Like you and me... our people are in exile
And those who remain...
Oppressed or destitute
In "Rockwood," my father,
There's a grave for me next to you
I wished it was in the homeland
My grave... O Mejdlaya, be patient
Sydney is my life...
And the paradise of countries
I won't betray it... nor stab it in the back
Blood flows cheaply for it
Two lines of poetry I engraved in my heart:
If we don't have an army to protect the land
And behind it the people...
Lengthwise or width wise
I will keep crying for the homeland, Lebanon
**
Doors
-1-
They closed the doors
They darkened the courtyards
They displaced the loved ones
In all four directions
O homeland of love
I will plant you in my heart
Prayers and songs
-2-
The nights have forgotten me
As a song at your door
Please, look before me
A genie from a story
From a forgotten world
So that freedom may return
And sleepless nights and stars
-3-
They thought that they erased
Your name and glory
And the people who remained
Have become so far apart
No matter how far apart we are
Your love unites us
And creates miracles!
**
Independence
They sang to you,
Until the reeds grew hoarse,
They sang to you,
And you became the wine and the cup
You carried the name of the people
This is how much they slandered you
Your "I" became a sword
That repels harm at all times
Your "N" is intoxication and how
And the "D" drags seasons
All seasons of goodness
You rejoice at the meeting of fields
And you wake up to the sound of birds
And the "E" is the word of truth
On our duty is long:
Your people are hard to divide
United by love of the land
And "P"... No to the greedy and arrogant
We want the whole land
To be liberated and return
Upon it, the light will shine
And "E"... Oh, independence
The last letter of the word
Everything that comes to mind
Begins... Lebanon
**
My dearest father
A new year has dawned...
We said: Welcome!
Joy has taken its toll on our words
And we began to weave shade
Under the sun's eye
And our land dreams of our arrival
So that we may rest a while
Beneath the cedar tree.
And the sighs may close
Upon our resting place.
Lebanon remains my father...
My dearest father
Life is not sweet except in his embrace
Without him our family
Won’t be at ease.
**
I love you, Lebanon
I love you, Lebanon
However, you may be
Happy and joyful
Or with tears in your eyes
I love you in your spring
I love you in your autumn
That unleashed your springs
I love you in your winter
I love you in your summer
I love you from January
And until the next January
I love you, my beloved
Because you my love,
No matter what you are!!
**
At the top of the mountain
When I was 14
-1-
At the top of the mountain
We planted glory
Next to the Lebanese cedars
And the roses grew
In the meadow of happiness
Singing songs of love
-2-
We have a forehead
The highest forehead
Thanks to our sweet flag
We defend for years
To protect Sannine
And we return strength with strength
-3-
Valley. Mountains
Plains. Hills
The source of all Baskets of Goodness
Peace of Mind
The poet said
Whether in the mosque or the monastery
-4-
All the people
In times of war
Their weapon is faith in the cedar
They walk the path
With one heart
Muslim, Christian, Druze
-5-
We are here
The heart of the universe
We find shelter in the shade of our flag
We extend a helping hand
With a hundred Colour
For anyone who wants our protect.
**
Soldier
When I was 14
-1-
Soldier...Yes, I am a soldier
Faith is from me
Staying awake on my border
On my grandfather's legacy
Staying awake... not sleepy
The Lebanese flag next to me.
-2-
The phrase "For the sake of the homeland"
Was planted on my border
It sprouted loyalty and faith
I gave the sustenance of eternity
And raised the name of Lebanon
In peace and in hardship
-3-
Soldier... We are all soldiers
In battle, we are lions
With blood, we redeem
The soil of our land
And we race the gunpowder
Loyalty is our support
-4-
Soldier... what more could I want
But loyalty to my land
I lived in its mountains
I will die for its sake
And I want nothing else
Like my grandfather
**
Mount Lebanon
1969
-1-
O Mount Lebanon
O eternal brother
In your lands, humankind
First came into existence
-2-
Were it not for you...
were it not for your green hills
On the whole earth
No tree would have grown
-3-
Sannine is your name
The most beautiful word
When God drew you
He tore the drawing apart
-4-
And by the strength of your rock
Eternity is mixed
And bears on your back
A mountain of snow
-5-
In the cedar forest
That increased your pride
They lived in glory
Your children and elders
-6-
The first thing the moon
Kissed your rocks
Like diamonds
Your light shone
-7-
And the sun knelt
On the hilltop
Raising its hands to the sky
To pray
-8-
To pray for you
To the Lord
May He keep you
High in your Lebanon
Protected from your enemies
-9-
I ask my Lord
O mountain, may you remain
With a spear in my hand
And burning in their hearts
-10-
In the hearts of your enemies
May this spear sink
And may the flag remain
In your sky fluttering
-11-
.. O flag of the Muslim
Christian and Druze
For this mountain live
So, our cedar will live too.
**
New Year
-1-
God willing, next year
Will pave your path with peace
And tell you a story
That dried up on the lips of dreams
-2-
O weary land
From the darkness of your graves
Give me songs this year
I long to visit you
-3-
Give me the joy of children
Who broke their toys early
Who were disgusted by the words
That were spoken
Who are lost with the wilderness
-4-
Give me Dabkeh at night
That disturbs the nights
And sprinkle the sleeplessness with laughter
And the witty remarks of my storyteller
-5-
The days don't begin
Nor do the years pass
So that dreams may be adorned
With cedars in my mountains!!
**
Lebanon
1969
-1-
Lebanon... its star shines brightly in the East
Between it and the star,
There is no difference
Lebanon... the epitome of loyalty and truth
A source of happiness and joy
A garment of glory without a tear
A calm winter without lightning
-2-
Lebanon... a canvas painted
With a hundred colours
A helping hand extended to the needy
Lebanon... the cry of a child Homeless
They closed the gates of the universe
In his face.
-3-
Lebanon... a breeze wandering
In the mountains,
Freedom and peace of mind
A word scribbled by heroes
A sigh of longing from a lament
A boat and the sea is hopes
A poet of love once said:
"I planted cedars of glory upon the hills
And I have loyalty and sacrifice as my capital
I have women who are ready to travel Men
Bearing the enemy's torment
All of them are my soldiers...
Soldiers of independence
-4-
Lebanon... its flag is colored red
With the blood of a dark-skinned hero
Lebanon... where the birds are intoxicated
And drink the wine of our green groves
Lebanon... its joy is firmly rooted
Its cedars are older than life
Its flag is its lamp Enlighten!
Prepare, and the people of the world prepare!
Lebanon isn't just the one
Who passed through,
Lebanon is the one who remains!
Its glory is growing today!
-5-
Lebanon, oh fragrance of basil!
Who in this universe is like it?
Guessingly, on its eternal rock, guessingly!
Its palace was built,
And its stones were laid years ago!
Lebanon, from the strength
Of Mount Sannine,
built its barricades!
Strength and gentleness
And from the wood of our sweet cedars
He set sail the vessels of light for creation
-6-
Lebanon...
The song of the warbling nightingale
Laughter of love and happiness
Sound of bells in the valley
A monastery and mosque of worshippers
Lebanon... the blood of the heart,
The soul of the soul
The house whose door is open to the world
With a touch of healing,
A cure meaning, the sick,
Were it not for He roams the mountains
He heals and lives a long life
God is wise...
And our land is a sanctuary!!
**
Lebanon... Just Lebanon
Lebanon...
The one that drove me mad
And made the nights of separation
Mourn the sun
How a cursed war played
With a people...
Who brought together tomorrow
And yesterday,
With a people...
Who alone became a world
When they speak...
The universe holds its breath
Why did its Icon have to be burned?
Written above it with a tear from my eye:
Lebanon... Just Lebanon...
And a thousand That's all.
**
My Country Lebanon
-1-
Oh, my country, what has become
Impossible to happen
Fire is reaping you
And hardship is enveloping you
In exile, night and day
We are drawing pictures
Of your mighty cedars
And of your humiliated people
Oh, my country Lebanon
-2-
Our eyes are weaving you
With the spindles of joy
Our hands are writing you
On the pages of hope
No matter how much the raven of separation
Has flown and grew rich
Your land will remain for two:
God and human
O my homeland Lebanon.
**
