Here’s the latest: a child’s doll has its
Legs severed. On the charred porch
A lady gathers burning clothes from a line.²
A Bullet lands in our Land—
Turns our dream into Ash,
Our cause into Cash.³
Warplanes whisper: “You’re next!
We’re coming to rip life from you,
To shatter you—beyond recognition!⁴
From you the sword, from us the Blood—
From you the steel & fire, from us the Flesh!⁵
The war planes choose you, discover you,
Plant their Blackness in You.⁶
How is it the same fingers
Shape the melody can
Coldly wrap around a trigger—
Point it at a Heart?⁷
What shall expose the Murderer—
But the innocence of our Blood?⁸
The Blood which springs from
Their bodies flows from Ours!⁹
Our Bloodied Banners flutter
Above the glitter of spears.¹⁰
¹ Kamal Qaddura tr. M. Jayyusi & Reed, Language
² Samih al-Qasim tr. Elmusa & Nye, You Pretend to Die
³ Fedaa Alsoufi, If the Sky Ends
⁴ Shahd Safi, Words Stumbling with Guilt
⁵ Mahmoud Darwish, Those Who Pass in Jerusalem Post April 2, 1988
⁶ Mai Sayigh tr. L. Jayyusi & Nye, Departure
⁷ Lena Jayyusi, The Beggar
⁸ Mu’een Bseiso tr. M. Jayyusi & Nye, Footsteps
⁹ Yusef ‘Abd al-‘Aziz tr. M. Jayyusi & Nye, The Shaqeef Moon
¹⁰ Abu Salma tr. Elmusa & Nye, We Shall Return