I am With Terrorism

Niza'r Qabbani, London 1997. See the original Arabic version here.

Qabbani was a Syrian poet, diplomat and publisher.

We are accused of terrorism: 
if we defended rose and woman 
and the mighty verse ... 
and the blueness of sky ... 
A dominion .. nothing left therein... 
No water, no air .. 
No tent, no camel, 
and not even dark Arabica coffee!! 

We are accused of terrorism: 
if we defended with guts 
the hair of Balqis 
and the lips of Maysun 
if we defended Hind, and Da`d 
Lubna and Rabab .. 
and the stream of Kohl 
coming down from their lashes like the verses of revelation. 
You will not find with me 
a secret poem 
or a secret logos 
or books I put behind doors. 
I do not even have one poem 
walking down the street, wearing veil. 

We are accused of terrorism: 
if we wrote about the ruins of a homeland 
torn, weak ... 
a homeland with no address 
and an nation with no names 

I seek the remnants of a homeland 
none of its grand poems is left 
except the bemoans of Khansa. 

I seek a dominion in whose horizons 
no freedom can be found 
red .. blue or yellow. 

A homeland forbidding us from bying a newspaper 
or listening to the news. 
A dominion wherein birds are forbidden 
from chirping. 
A homeland wherein, out of terror [ru`b], 
its writers got accustomed to write about 
nothing. 
A homeland, in the likeness of poetry in our lands: 
It is vain talk, 
no rhythm, 
imported 
Ajam, with a crooked face and tongue: 
No beginning 
No end 
No relation with people's worry 
mother earth 
and the crisis of man. 

A dominion ... 
going to peace talks 
with no honor 
no shoe. 

A homeland, 
men peed in their pans .. 
women are those left to defend honor. 

Salt in our eyes 
Salt in our lips 
Salt in our words 
Can the self carry such dryness? 
An inheritance we got from the barren Qahtan? 
In our nation, no Mu`awiya, and no Abu Sufiyan 
No one is left to say 'NO' 
and face the quitters 
they gave up our houses, our bread and our [olive] oil. 
They transformed our bright history into a mediocre store. 

In our lives, no poem is left, 
since we lost our chastity in the bed of the Sultan. 

They got accustomed to us, the humbled. 
What is left to man 
when all that remains 
is disgrace. 

I seek in the books of history 
Ussamah ibn al-Munqith 
Uqba ibn Nafi` 
Omar, and Hamzah 
and Khalid, driving his flocks conquering the Shem. 
I seek a Mu`tasim Billah 
Saving women from the cruelty of rape 
and the fire. 

I seek latter days men 
All I can see is frightened cats 
Scared for their own souls, from 
the sultanship of mice. 

Is this an overwhelming national blindness? 
Are we blind to colors? 

We are accused of terrorism 
If we refuse to die 
with Israel's bulldozers 
tearing our land 
tearing our history 
tearing our Evangelium 
tearing our Koran 
tearing the graves of our prophets 
If this was our sin, 
then, lo, how beautiful terrorism is? 

We are accused of terrorism 
if we refused to be effaced 
by the hands of the Mogul, Jews and Barbarians 
if we throw a stone 
at the glass of the the Security Council 
after the Ceasar of Ceasars got a hold of it. 

We are accused of terrorism 
if we refuse to negociate with the wolf 
and shake the hand with a whore 
America 
Against the cultures of the peoples 
with no culture 
Against the civilizations of the civilized 
with no civilization 
America 
a mighty edifice 
with no walls! 

We are accused of terrorism: 
if we refused an era 
America became 
the foolish, the rich, the mighty 
translated, sworn 
in Hebrew. 

We are accused of terrorism: 
if we throw a rose 
to Jerusalem 
to al-Khalil 
to Ghazza 
to an-Nasirah 
if we took bread and water 
to beleaguered Troy. 

We are accused of terrorism: 
if we raised our voices against 
the regionalists of our leaders. 
All changed their rides: 
from Unionists 
to Brokers. 

If we committed the heinous crime of culture 
if we revolted against the orders of the grand caliph 
and the seat of the caliphate 
If we read jurisprudence or politics 
If we recalled God 
and read verse al-Fat-h 
[that Chapter of Conquest]. 
If we listened to the Friday sermon 
then we are well-established in the art of terrorism 

We are accused of terrorism 
if we defended land 
and the honor of dust 
if we revolted against the rape of people 
and our rape 
if we defended the last palm trees in our desert 
the last stars in our sky 
the last syllabi of our names 
the last milk in our mothers' bosoms 
if this was our sin 
how beautiful is terrorism. 

I am with terrorism 
if it is able to save me 
from the immigrants from Russia 
Romania, Hungaria, and Poland 

They settled in Palestine 
set foot on our shoulders 
to steal the minarets of al-Quds 
and the door of Aqsa 
to steal the arabesques 
and the domes. 

I am with terrorism 
if it will free the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth, 
and the virgin, Meriam Betula 
and the holy city 
from the ambassadors of death and desolation 

Yesteryear 
The nationalist street was fervent 
like a wild horse. 
The rivers were abundant with the spirit of youth. 

But after Olso, 
we no longer had teeth: 
we are now a blind and lost people. 

We are accused of terrorism: 
if we defended with full-force 
our poetic heritage 
our national wall 
our rosy civilization 
the culture of flutes in our mountains 
and the mirrors displaying blackened eyes. 

We are accused of terrorism: 
if we defended what we wrote 
El azure of our sea 
and the aroma of ink 
if we defended the freedom of the word 
and the holiness of books 

I am with terrorism 
if it is able to free a people 
from tyrants and tyranny 
if it is able to save man from the cruelty of man 
to return lemon, olive tree, and bird to the South of Lebanon 
and the smile back to Golan 

I am with terrorism 
if it will save me 
from the Caesar of Yehuda 
and the Caesar of Rome 

I am with terrorism 
as long as this new world order 
is shared 
between America and Israel 
half-half 

I am with terrorism 
with all my poetry 
with all my words 
and all my teeth 
as long as this new world 
is in the hands of a butcher. 

I am with terrorism 
if the U.S. Senate 
enacts judgment 
decrees reward and punishment 

I am with Irhab [terrorism] 
as long this new world order 
hates the smell of A`rab. 

I am with terrorism 
as long as the new world order 
wants to slaughter my off-spring. 
and send them to dogs. 

For all this 
I raise my voice high: 
I am with terrorism 
I am with terrorism 
I am with terrorism ...

Nizar Qabbani