O pupils of Gaza . . .
A little of what you have
Teach us . .
For we have men . .
Teach us . .
in the children's hands,
How it becomes
And the silk ribbon . .
How the feeding bottle nipple . .
Turns into a knife . . . .
Care not . .
And hear us not . .
Strike . . .
And firmly in your hands take matters
We the people of arithmetic . .
And of subtraction . .
And abstain from us . .
from the service,
And hang us . . .
who possess not masters
And we asked you
We've diminished, before you
And you've grown
O pupils of Gaza . .
To our writings . . And read us not
Do resemble us not . .
Do worship us not . .
Political lies . .
And we build graves . .
Liberate us . .
And expel
Teach us . .
And leave not . .
O our beloved children
May Allah render your day
From the cracks of ruined earth
And planted in our wound
This is the revolution of notebooks . .
Do become on the lips
Shower us . .
And from our ugliness wash us
Fear neither Moses. .
And ready yourself
Verily this Jewish age
That shall collapse . .
O madmen of Gaza . .
in madmen,
Verily the age of political reason
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 . . .
Nizar Qabbani