Sunday, January 11, 2009

What, you are crying?

From a poem by Palestinian poet Kamal Nasir who was assassinated by Israeli terrorists while he was sleeping in 1973 in Beirut (my translation):
"What, you are crying?
Your father has died,
And so has your brother?
And you have been listed
in the procession of refugees?
Crying?
Get up and let us
tighten our pride
on the playground of dignity
I am your father and brother,
grew up on the agony of refugees
and silenced the wailing on my side
Get up and let us
tighten our pride
on the playground of dignity
I am the comrade in the
strange conflict,
the comrade of
the beloved garb
I worry about you
I worry about suffering,
I worry about eulogy
killing the traces of pride
and bloodying in your chest
the meaning of sacrifice
And existence gets sweeter,
and you stay in loss
in the procession of refugees"