So be it…
I must reject death,
scorch the tears of drippy songs
and strip the olive trees
of counterfeit branches.
If I serenade the happiness
behind the lids of frightened eyes,
it’s because the storm
has promised me wines,
new toasts and rainbows.
It’s because the storm
has swept the noise of listless birds
and the false branches
from the trees left standing.
So be it..
I must pride myself with you
oh wound of the city,
billboard of lightning in our sad nights.
When the street frowns at me
you protect me from the shadows
and the looks of hatred.
I will serenade that happiness,
lying behind the lids of frightened eyes
since the storm raged in my country.
Because the storm
has promised me wines,
new toasts and rainbows.
and by far the most progressive and committed.
His works have inspired millions of people in the Arab world
and elsewhere.
The ‘Storm’ referred to here is the Intifada, the Uprising of
the Palestinians in the Israeli occupied territories that started
in December 1987.