Friday, December 09, 2005

From the poem Hypocritical Rain by Syrian poet Muhammad Al-Maghut (my translation):
"I believed in all the religions
of the East
And I fought in all its wars
And I bragged about all its glories
And I memorized all its odes
And I chanted all its hymns
And I rollicked in all its clothes
And I frequented all its nightclubs
And I clapped for all its dishes
And I stayed at all its hotels,
gravesites, and prisons
And I was afflicted with all
its diseases
And I lived all its songs
and chants
And I loved and got married
and got divorced, and my
life was ruined from its signs and pledges
And it needs a revolution,
I am its fuel
A loyal party? First clapper
Opposition? First whistler
Chaos? First subversive
Construction? First porter
Mismanagement? First bribed
Black Market? First dealer
Modernization? First inspector
Tents and aid? First refugee
Recreation? First clown.
*Thus ambassadors, poets, writers, journalists, singers, artists, and clerics agreed upon:
that I am a national treasure that needs to be nationalized, or be deposited at a secure foreign bank
although I only own the wind."