غزة قرص الشمس
“GAZA”, THE SUN’S DISC
Written and translated by: Salah Hamad
Has “Gaza” fallen at a checkpoint? And
Have we fallen into the hands of the Jews?
The land narrowed and the sea narrowed,
And it rained bloody death everywhere;
All means of communication above and under the ground,
Were haphazardly torn to pieces.
Both “Gaza” and the “West Bank “are at test,
With a repeated question, roaming over “Jerusalem”:
Where is the “Revolution”?
Where is the “State”?
Where come the “Authority”
And its “Army”?
Where is the “Land” and
Where are the “Citizens”, and
The “Right to Return Home” is denied.
My homeland is occupied;
And the World is a double-dealer.
Quivering I stand between the occupying power
And the double-dealing power,
Challenging my fate!
“Thou shalt not kill; thou shalt not steal;
Thou shalt not commit adultery”
At all times, I am the one who kills,
The one who steals,
And the one who commits adultery.
I do congratulate you upon trespassing
Step by step into my country and upon
Stabbing me one by one constantly.
And I in the dungeon, or in the grave;
And at best in the cramming line at the
checkpoint, even in my house, in my field,
at office, and at school, near the checkpoint,
“The International Brain” is counting my breaths,
Blessed by the Arabs’ utterance,
Not to say by the “Arabs’ Brain” which has deteriorated to such a hallucinating state.
In front of the Segregation Wall I live,
And behind the Communication Wall I die,
And in between segregation and communication,
The “period” with the “and” of conjunction exists.
Oh! Save our souls by such “periods” and “conjunctions”!
Help us. Aridity conquered us and the Arab oil has dried out.
Aids diminished and the world is so narrow to afford keeping us alive.
Oh God: it is our end; to you we pray for help.
I would like to console you, for Gaza has not fallen at the checkpoint.
