|
|
|||
|
Palestinian Dreams
Zeinab Habash Poetry 2005
Dedication To All those Who dream to Achieve Justice, Freedom, Peace and happiness To all humans
In our thorny road, Dynamite bombs are planted, Wheat stalks are burnt, Only hunger, Resists, struggles, And is still the defender.
Whenever I recite The poems of rebels, I lose consciousness. I become a bomb, That shouts in the face Of this cruel world.
Whenever I recite The poems of rebels, I become a bomb, That changes The roles of people In this strange world.
I need only one letter To finish my poem. This appeal has been responded By an eternal cascade, Of innocent blood.
You've always been My charming song, My great extacy. You've been more beautiful, More precious, And more desired, Than eternal Paradise. Yet, You've become a thousand times More beautiful, More precious, And more desired, You've become so, Just when they, For the sake of your eyes, Pulled off my eyes.
It's more lovely for me, To be in jail in Haifa, Suffering cruelness and torture, Than living in a castle on a green hill, Far away From the sand of my beloved country.
Who but you, Great Palestinian mother, Is able to make the history, Of this sacred land?
O my beautiful portrait! In you, I had a lake of dreams and great expectations. From you, I listened to a thousand jungles of symphonies. With you, I lived a long love story. But Since they deformed you With bloodshed, With hostile, And with condemned sadism, They not only wounded my heart, But also Crucified me on the same tree, Besides Christ.
O beloved country! I still sing charming songs, In spite of occupation. I still have winged dreams, In spite of beeing in jail. I still have bunches of joys, In spite of melancholy. I'm still alive, In spite of surrounding death And despite of all, I still see Peace and freedom, In the eyes of children.
Memories and longings Are no more Our daily talks. Perfume, Coiffeur, Passionate songs and silky clothes, Are no more our daily talks. The dreams of victory, The songs of freedom, The flags of peace, The perfume of happiness, And the glorious return to our country, Have all become our daily talks.
Niruda! Shout with me. Shout with me. You! Poet of freedom. Blood is flowing In ancient streets. Blood is filling Cups of wine. Blood is being drunk by the oppressors, Who have achieved victory, Against children.
The star asked the rose: Where have you come from? The rose answered: From the heart of clouds. The rose asked the star: Where have you come from? The star answered: From the heart of earth.
Why do they want my head? Why? Because, in your head, My lovely child, There are precious jewels that amaze them. Why do they want to pull off my eyes? Because, in your eyes, My darling Birds have built their warm nests. Why do they prevent me from singing? Because foxes hate songs, And fear the roaring of lions. Why have I been born Without an identity? To carry, My lovely child, The sorrows of this world. To achieve, My lovely child, The dreams of this world.
Death Reaps the flowers Of almond trees. Yet, in Palestine, Trees give us fruit Before flowers.
In my country, Delicate stars Burn the mighty sun, At midday. Young birds, Tell stories of glory, To dangerous serpents. Wheatstalks, Take off their green And yellow garments, To participate in struggle. In my country, The appressed have become The oppressor.
Daily news are pregnant. They spit voming, In the face of truth.
Every minute they become pregnant. Every minute they enduce abortion. And the drizzle of voming, Blunts eyes From perceiving the truth.
Our days are deceptive, Treacherous. Laugh at our faces. Frown at our faces. Carry The changeable colours, Of disloyalty.
(To Ahmad Dahdool)
Ahmad hasn't been well known, Except to his intiment friends. But, After being martyred, Ahmad has become a history, Irrigated with blood.
I read what tiny fingers dig, In the forehead of shame. I read what tiny fingers draw, In the eyes of daylight.
(To Mahmoud Alkurd)
The nightingale sang his Charming song, In the warm nest, Then flew into the heart Of endless sky. Yet In a trice, He became a glittering star, That spread light Over the whole world.
The Frame of Palestinian Issue The Sun has collapsed into the arms of dawn, When my shivering neck Dropped, Under the hanging rope.
The Stars crept close to me, And wept mutely, On the cheeks of night.
Dear fellow! Tear off the gown of the torturing tattoo. Between eyelashes and eyes, Only false lakes are there.
Fellow! Be not so sad, I'm not the first victim, And I shall never be the last. My neck became a cloud, My eyelashes a jungle, So, my dear fellow, Carry not melancholy in your heart.
Fellow! Keep chanting your lovely songs, To help me bear my death. For I'm not the issue, I'm the frame of the Palestinian issue.
You'll Never Resist the Sunshine My heart leaves me and lives with you, My country children, boys and girls. Who are captured in the enemy's jails Shouting and resisting, In the rooms of torture:
You! Ugly wolves You'll never frighten us Of torture. You'll never frighten us Of death.
A part of the brown generous soil, We are. A part of the wild flowers on our proud mountains, We are. A rich fountain of love and songs, We are. So, continue your ugly affliction. Yet, You can never pull off sand from our country. You can never steel fragrant from flowers. You can never prevent charming songs of breeze. You can never deport mountains. You can never arrest beauty. You can never hang fountains. And you'll never resist the sunshine. You'll never resist the sunshine.
Not of castles or silky clothes, Not of gold or precious jewelry, Not of travelling round the world, I dream.
I only dream, Of wandering Inside my own garden, Of watching young children Play and laugh, Of drinking coffee In my open balcony.
I only dream, Of watching my mother's happiness Jump off her eyes, Of seeing my far away Brothers, sisters, and their children, Running joyfully into her arms.
I only dream, Of walking in our beautiful street, Without being afraid Of the soldiers' patrols, That intend to kill those who walk.
I only dream, Of driving my car Into the streets of Ramallah, Without being stopped by soldiers, Who've announced the street A military area.
I only dream, Of sleeping calmly In my night chamber, Without being disturbed By weaponed civil men, Who invade houses at midnight.
I dream and dream Of freedom and justice, Of peace and happiness, Not only to me and to my people, But, also, to every human being, On this great world.
The boughs of the Arab tree, Multiply to a large extent. The tempest blows them away, But, all the boughs, However they are separated, Still drink, From the same root.
Why do I love you?
Has earth been asked, Why it loves trees? Have songs been asked, Why they dance on the tunes of music? Have lovers been asked, Why they are vigilant? Has the sun been asked, Why it decorates the eyes of the moon With light?
How do I love you?
I love you, As a brook of longing Gathering the dust of deserts, And making them a cascade of life's thirst. I love you, As the dewy dawn, As the fragrant of jasmine.
I love you as I love you.
Why I love you? I'm tired my darling, I'm tired. I love you the same as a fida’i Loves his land.
Will you ask again Why and how I love you?
Between you and me, Ah! My darling Is it war? Is it loss? Is it a new catastrophy? But We might die before war dies! And before loss and catastrophy disappear!
Between you and me, Ah! My beloved There are piles of occupation agony, And military orders, Against both of us:
A home arrest for me, And an eternal exile for you.
I know well that age is short, And that the path of lifeway is long. Yet To live that age, And to walk that long path of lifeway, One has to dig a dagger of love Into his own heart!
I only need a pen and a gun.
With my pen, Explode dynamite and atom bombs.
With my gun, Draw happy dreams, Decorate green fields, Scatter laughs, Scratch wars, And make a law of peace and love.
With my gun, Cancel boundaries, And offer all human beings, A new dinamic nationality, That allows all of them To go round the world, With no identity.
I've read the history of all nations. Yet, I've never found, In books of history and civilization, Any people, Who built a minarate to their country, Of their own flesh and blood, The same As we, Palestinians, did
Inside my heart, Ellumed a stream of million candles. But When a tear of sadness Had dropped from my eye, Light collapsed, And death slept calmly, On the pellow of my melancholy.
Since the birth of Christ, I dreamt of joy, That has never come. Since I became the martyred, I drew my dreams, On tears and rainbows.
Ask them Does light vanish From the eyes of the moon, If they are being closed?
Ask them Does the bird stop singing, If his beak is being closed?
As fate and destiny cling into each other, As the brown soil melts when kissing rain, As the blond star disappears When the moon laughs, I melt into you, I disappear in your charming eyes. I become a vein in your great heart, My country.
You! The musical song of heaven, That makes birds dance, Trees joyful, Children run happily Into the fields of almond and olive trees, That makes loving eyes, Whisper warmly to each other.
O country! I wish you were a beautiful nest, That attracts every migrant nightingale, Of your original birds.
I wish I were a red rose, That covers the way of returners With hope and love,
I wish I were a green wheatstalk, A drop of water, A grasp of soil. I wish you were my everlasting homeland.
I dream I were a matchstick, That kisses every proud candle, That sings for the rebirth of a new world, That embraces clouds, And covers the soil with grass.
I dream I were a butterfly, That decorates fields, Laughs to light, Kisses flowers day and night, Smiles to children, And draws history for new generations.
I dream that the globe of earth, Were a public song. Chanted by all humans, young and old, During the journey of life, At wedding parties, At harvest seasons, At beauty festivals and glorious feasts.
O country! I wish you were The heavenly message of God to earth, To every human being, To every life on this wide world. Thus, darkness will drown into darkness, The Moon will become happy, And children will play joyfully On the fields of almond and olive trees, While charming eyes Will smile widely to loving eyes.
I saw him yesterday, Swimming in the lake of thinking, Wading into the deep caves of sorrow, Chasing blackbirds, Struggling against destiny, Disappearing in the land of insanity, Wandering in the darkness, And carrying in his eyes Deep hatred to human beings. Yet, I saw him grasping a torch Of hope and dreams. I saw him conquering death And defeating destiny.
I saw him tomorrow, Embracing horizon, Playing with stars, Kissing clouds, And shaking hands with fate. I saw him an angel, A bee, A smile, A rose, A kiss. I saw him a forest of wild flowers, An oasis of joy and tenderness. I saw him there, Paving our way with peace and justice, Cutting fences and destroying boundaries. I saw him climbing up The summit of the holy rock, And with a charming smile, Raising the flag, Raising the flag, Raising the flag.
Alone I waked, Holding love in my heart, Carrying sadness in my sleepy eyes, My deep wounds bleeding. Nails of severe coldness being digged Into my bones. For the mornings of Gaza are chilling. Hunger and darkness have made of me, A murdered, Wearing the uniform of a murderer.
Alone I walked, Embracing the childish dreams Of my seven kids. Meditating of the warmth Of their innocence. With nothing to own, Except thirsty eyes for the sunrise Of my beloved Yaffa. Except sweet memories That irrigated my land With love, dreams and deep longing. Except the smiles of birds That before dawn, Have escaped from their cages, And covered the horizon, Which has been drowned In the lake of death.
Alone I walked In one hand, some bread, Olives and cactus. In the other, love, patience And hesitation. I walked into chains of massacres And bloodshed. I walked from Deir Yassin And Qufr Qassem. From the hill of sculps at Tall El-Za’tar. From Sabra and Shatella Where death has invaded festivals. To a new and horrible one, Where a soldier has transformed Into a devil, And smashed herbs and dewy flowers.
O You Qufr Qassem! Tell me, for the sake of God! How does death look like in the lab of land? How does time collapse? How do heart beatings Become gunfires of nothing? How does life become a nightmare? A horror?
Tell me Qufr Qassem What makes my dreams small? What makes the dreams of birds great? What makes the bloodshed Of my heart, at daylight, legal? What? If not the absence of justice In this crazy world!
My eyes scrambled Over the waves of an unseen ocean. Suddenly, My eyesight returned to me. I saw a young brown child, At the age of flowers, I saw her cut the vigorous waves, With her tiny arms. Immediately The ocean has changed into a forest. The fainted moon has been carried Into the arms of a cloud. I almost died of thirst Yet, in a glance She jumped from the heart of rain Carrying in one hand a glass of water In the other, a stone.
(At the Med. Festival) 7.9.2000
Bisceglie The City of dreams The song of waves The bird of joys And the rose of ancient love
Bisceglie The innocent girl That sleeps calmly In the arms of the Mediterranean festival The holy saint That prays in children's smiles
Bisceglie The loving mother Who gave birth To all these kind people Whom I loved very much And loved their charming smiles Into which my eyes had drowned
When I returned to Ramallah I found you in my bags When I looked in the mirror I saw you on my cheeks
When I walked in the streets You were walking by my side And when I put my head on my pillow I was putting it into your warm lap
Bisceglie Who has ornamented my heart With you? Who has changed you into a lovely tune That irrigates my dreams? And who has changed your wonderful people Into intimate friends and relatives That fill my garden?
Bisceglie I found in you real security, Which I had never known Freedom, which I was deprived from Peace, which I still dream of And love, Which all Palestinians are thirsty for I saw simplicity, which surpasses all beauty
Bisceglie Will you allow me to dream, That one day, I see in my country, All the beauty I have seen in you?!
" To Mothers of martyred children during Al Aqas Intifada" Oct, 25th, 2000
O child ! O beloved child ! Sleep as calmly as an angel On the waves of loving hands With your beautiful, quiet face, As a bunch of roses, Paying no attention to glory That is surrounding your small body And holding you passionately.
Sleep calmly As a bird In a warm nest. Listen, only, to the chant of God In heaven
Here you are You! Myth of place and time ! Embrace dreams! Make of wheat seeds, Wide shores of charming music
Shine ! As an everlasting star. As a sun, That scatters light on endless fields.
I behold you ! A spring of iris and chrysanthemum A generous cloud That pours its charming scent, At the whole world.
You! Innocent angel ! Glittering smile! Who says that you are away from me ? Who says that you are away from us? You are still living In our hearts and eyes With your small hand Embracing the Palestinian colored flag Grasping the white sacred stone And throwing it At the face of oppression.
The tires you’ve burnt In the middle of the street Are still flaming, As an angry hell. Spouting hatred At those Who dream of living, forever, In our homeland.
And condemning those, Who awakened you From your noble dreams.
Upon reaching my 14th year, I wrote the following in my daily diary: “ I was nothing, became something, but will be everything”
Who am I? What am I? Two grand questions overwhelm The calm fire of my life For I am, whom I am
I am this vast sky With open arms To embrace all the birds in flight I am this ocean with all its treasures And this earth With all its magic and mystery
I am the sun, I am the moon. I shrink, And transform into a dew drop Glistening on the crown of a violet bloom I expand, And pluck the stars with ease
I am everything I conceive And everything I will conceive Everything I conceive in wakefulness Everything I conceive in sleep Everything I conceive in reality Everything I conceive in fantasy
I am all those whom I love And all those I will love
I am all the towns I visited And all the towns I will visit My eyes see all existence My arms embrace the universe My heart grows to hold the world
All these trees are mine And all these song birds Are singing for me
Whenever I shut the door behind me When I leave my home The doors Of ultimate happiness and freedom Are open for me And when I return, The door becomes happy And the flowers in my garden, Which I irrigate each morning Are so jubilant At my return.
When I enter my home I enter my small paradise Yes For home is my small paradise In it I listen to sweet music In it I draw a Homeland And color it to my taste In it I create dreams and trees, Poems and legends
In this small paradise I feel God has created the whole universe For me I humbly stand, At the threshold of the Creator In my pure white clothes I thank Him for innumerable blessings And recite His words, Which are above all other words I feel I’m close to Him And He’s close to me My heart then is full With peace and happiness, So that if I open my eyes, The world All the world Will drown in them
This is who I am And what I am Is it true I am all this?!!! How wonderful!!
Translated by Issa Mitri July 25,2001
O Pure white! The Purity of Angels Laughing as children Grand as a bride’s gown Wonderful as a poem Fragile as the grip of a child’s hand Conquering as judgment Exceptional as a jasmine flower Elegant as a lily Graceful as a ballerina Alert as a candle!
In you I see my most beautiful dreams And my innocent love I see the glimmer of happiness In my eyes And the mythical portraits Of wonderful art
I see persons and forms and flowers I see birds and gardens As if I live in another world! Am I dreaming? Or am I hovering in the Seventh Sky?!
As if I stand at the Throne’s Doorsteps And see the Light of God And the Creator’s Greatness
I see God’s Power And feel His Gentleness, His Wisdom and His Kindness And see His Smile, like no other
I wish I can hold on to you And hold you to my bosom I wish I savor your taste And clean my heart with your purity I wish you permeate every cell of my soul And create in my heart, Love, happiness and life
I wish I sleep on your feathered pillows And cover my body With your white sheets And gather the warmth Of your downy fur
Everything subjugates to you Everything receives you with love, Like no other love The Earth hugs you with her arms The trees surrender to you The flowers close their eyes And slumber in your lap The walls call upon you to ascend them With your integrity And the streets give you alone, The right of way
Everything gives itself to you Are you the eternal love?
O You, White as a lover’s steed Let me ride your horseback Rush me to the unknown fields Take me to your bewitched forests Float me in the world of poetry Sing to me the song of innocence And let me hear your sweet music That refreshes the soul
O You, gentle as a butterfly To You, I afford my life Absorb her nectar And make her a part of You
O You, divine blessing Quickly sprawl on all quarters Of our motherland And transform into fresh water For the people of Palestine Are so thirsty for water So thirsty for happiness So thirsty for freedom And here you have come to us Possessing everything we need.
Translated by Issa Mitri
It is so… without any retouches Mohammad Al-Dura This beautiful dark child, Transforms, Into the entire motherland Whenever I see you, Mohammad, Writhing in pain Trying to shrink your small body So that the bullets of death do not strike you, I cry Whenever I see you crying For help from your father Who is transformed into a statue, Of absolute failure, I cry Whenever I see your mother Choking on her tears As Virgin Mary did As she cradled her child, Her own flesh and blood, I cry Whenever I see your pearly tears Spill from your beautiful eyes I cry Whenever I see your head fall Onto your father’s chest, I cry Whenever I see your tiny hand Wipes up the tears that have poured, On your wrinkled face, I cry Whenever I see your body Sprawled in the dust, And grows and grows before my very eyes, I cry You have grown, Mohammad To the size of our motherland And your small body Blankets the whole of Palestine And your innocent blood Which like a waterfall Flooded upon the earth Caused the drowning of our motherland From Sea to River From Ras Al-Naqurah to Rafah I did not grieve for your martyrdom But for the way you were martyred, At high noon, In view of every human on earth Isn't this what happened to all of us, In the past?! Isn't this what is happening to all of us, every day?! Isn't this what will happen to all of us, In the future?!! The whole world watches us While we are killed in cold blood In all the previous massacres In all the massacres that are happening now And in all the massacres that will happen in the future. Your father is a powerless man Without ability and without strength. He even waved his paralyzed arms Begging the killer To stop the murder of his beloved boy! Whenever I see you, Mohammad I cry for me For You Are Me! You are all my family! And you are all Palestinians in this universe! Whenever I see your father I cry for all the Arabs Who though love us very much But are so powerless To lift the injustice that engulfs us Whenever I see the free people of the world Support us I cry and cry for all the human values Which are erased with a tiny eraser Called the American Veto
By Zeinab Habash- November 7, 2000
With love We protect our souls from decay
With Work We confirm the value Of our existence
With Giving We take our rewards
With Happiness We resist the armies of boredom
With a Smile We preserve the emotions Of our mirrors
With Laughter We wrestle death
With Kindness We express our humanity
With Astonishment We immortalize the innocence Of our childhood
With Hope We expel the locusts of despair
With Music We transform into butterflies
With Freedom We exchange the treasures Of the world
With a Truthful word We open hearts
With Belonging Our souls unite
With Fulfillment We deserve immortality
With Generosity Our bodies sparkle
With rightness We defeat power
With Courage We trample cowardice
With the Future We preserve the past
With Drawing We color life
With Poetry We embody the fantasy
With Persistence We entice the impossible
Translated by Issa Mitri 31st, July.2001
Two full weeks We’ve swung between life and death We prayed, we invocated We supplicated to The Living Immortal
Until you came out to us From the Percy French hospital Draped in the flag of Palestine Drowned in our National Anthem That made us all drown in a deluge of tears
You were visited by your dear friend, Doctor Jacques Chirac, Twice
The first time He tried desperately to grant you the elixir of life And the second time You were asleep, encircled with your pleasant dreams Dreams of liberation Dreams of repatriation Dreams of praying in the Holy Al Aqsa Mosque
He whispered to you “I am your friend Doctor Chirac” His warm words touched you deeply And returned life to you You opened your eyes... and smiled
Truly you deserve to smile, Our President Because your French friend has granted you...
The State that you’ve dreamt of The flag of four colors And the National Anthem
He has also, granted us, Palestinians, This great Love That gave wind to our wings And lightened our hearts of the heavy load Of this hard event
It is true that tears burst from our eyes But we felt that the honor, Which was bestowed on you Has extended to engulf us all And the pride you had felt Filled each and every Heart Of your Palestinian People Who are scattered all over the whole universe And that Palestine which we dream of liberating Has been liberated by you
And your first dream of Martyrdom Has been realized
The airplane that circled the air And landed with a quiver On Al Kinana Land Has encircled our souls And landed them with you at the airport
Thus, you have realized your second Martyrdom
And advanced the monarchs and presidents On the gun carriage Led by true Arabian horses
We felt that greatness and dignity fill our hearts
No one Who came before you... nor would come after you Is as fortunate, or will be as fortunate, Of the honor you were bestowed
Did you feel as we did The magnificence of this surprise? Did your heart dance with joy? At hearing the National Anthem Played by the musicians In our beloved Egypt?
Did you notice the red carpet? Which is only laid out For great people and presidents?
All these friends Came to you from around the globe Not to say goodbye to your mortal remains But to grasp a bundle of light From your defensive spirit That insisted on extracting freedom and dignity For your land and your people
Everyone who witnessed you, wished That his funeral be conducted with such reverence With such greatness With such esteem
Then you descended upon us Like the Bird of Thunder For the third Martyrdom you have wished “Martyr… Martyr… Martyr”
With your first Martyrdom You united us With your second Martyrdom You united the whole world with us and for us And with your third Martyrdom You awaked in us the responsibility To achieve all of your dreams
In the first you were embraced by France In the second you were embraced by Egypt In the third, you were embraced By your precious and loving Palestine A testimony of the love and esteem Of your great people The people who stood by you As you stood with them In the most difficult days of hardship
Excuse us Abu Ammar For the feelings of our people for you Were overwhelming And greater than the need To give you a more formal funeral It was a spontaneous funeral Governed by pure emotions Pouring from pure hearts
The youths tried to carry you to Al Quds Tried to return life to you They replaced the flag with the Kofiyeh Even the policemen Who were supposed to maintain order, Joined them Releasing from deep within them, the call… “With our souls, with our blood, We will redeem you Abu Ammar” “With our souls, with our blood, We will redeem you Palestine” And they rushed with you, Beyond our amazement
Here you lay embraced by your soil From the Holy Al Quds So sleep with delighted eyes For we shall awake you soon from your slumber To walk together to Al Quds And to pray together In the Holy Al Aqsa Mosque That awaits you, O Living Martyr
Are not your immortal words “To Al Quds we go…Martyrs in millions”? Yes Abu Ammar You are returning to Al Quds a Martyr Blazing the trail for all martyrs ahead of you And those who will follow
I do not say farewell, Abu Ammar Bu I say, so long, until we meet again Oh, You! The miracle of this age and all ages.
Translated by Issa Mitri 14th, November.2004
|
|||
|
|
|||