The Poetry Corner

The Wrathful

By Nizar Qabbani

O pupils of Gaza... Teach us... A little of what you have For we have forgotten... Teach us... To be men For we have men... dough they become... Teach us... How the rocks become in the children's hands, precious diamond... How it becomes The child's bicycle, a mine And the silk ribbon... An ambush... How the feeding bottle nipple... If detained not Turns into a knife.... O pupils of Gaza Care not... about our broadcasts... And hear us not... Strike... Strike... With all your powers And firmly in your hands take matters And ask us not... We the people of arithmetic... And of addition... And of subtraction... Your wars do carry on And abstain from us... We're the deserters from the service, Your ropes do bring And hang us... We're mortals... Who possess not tombs And orphans... who possess not masters We kept already to our rooms... And we asked you To fight the dragon... We've diminished, before you A thousand century... And you've grown Within a month-Centuries... O pupils of Gaza... Return not... To our writings... And read us not We're your fathers... Do resemble us not... We're your idols... Do worship us not... We engage in Political lies... And repression... And we build graves... And jails... Liberate us... From the fear problem in us... And expel The opium from our heads... Teach us... The art of adherence to the Land, And leave not... The Messiah saddened... O our beloved children Salam... May Allah render your day Jasmine.... From the cracks of ruined earth You emerged forth And planted in our wound Musk rose... This is the revolution of notebooks... And ink... Do become on the lips melodies... Shower us... Heroism, and pride And from our ugliness wash us Wash us... Fear neither Moses... Nor Moses' spell... And ready yourself To harvest the olives Verily this Jewish age is an illusion... That shall collapse... Albeit sureness we possess.... O madmen of Gaza... A thousand welcome.... in madmen, If they liberate us Verily the age of political reason has long bygone.... Do teach us madness....