I have posted this poem before in July 2004. I post it again in light of the recent developments in Lebanon:
From a poem by Lebanese poet Khalil Hawi (my translation):
"…and no divine judge who throws stones
flowers here are without thorns
Here, nudity is purity…”
Take off those fake faces,
torn off the skin of a repugnant chameleon
We have not put on,
nor taken off faces
We are from Beirut,
a tragedy, were born
with fake faces and minds
The idea is born a harlot in the “market”
And then spends a lifetime
fabricating virginity"