Bài ca buồn cho Murad

The sad song for Murad
Poet Murad Sudani, President of the Palestine Writers’ Association

1.
No need to know the reason
No need to stop and ask why
No need to hear the whispers of threats
No need to think of what would happen next
Only know that I was here
In front of the barbed wire fence
And the gun barrel
And he stepped toward me
Murad!

His footsteps resound on the ground
Underneath the sad clouds
Flowing on the sky above his country’s border
Bringing with them the thunders, the rains
And bringing the cries
Underneath the olive trees along the road
Murad!

2.
The trick is still going on
In the party of the politicians
With the ones who lost their ways
In the tangled history
And the ones who stand outside the darkness
Outside the tears, outside the bloodshed
Screaming their judgement
Murad!


But I was here
I am walking on your country, Murad!
I am listening to the song of your nation, Murad!
I see the olive trees, the palm trees growing
On rocky soil
Murad!

I see the tears
Soak the mountains
I hear the sheep
Burn the sunset with their scream
Murad!

3.
Last night you didn’t sleep
Murad!
Walked on the small street
Going on and on
You walked through the horizon

Last night you prayed
Murad!
Last night you cried
Last night you sang
And I heard the echo
From the mountain wind
The sad history sigh

Last night you kneeled down
Murad!
Your hands opened
One hand filled with words
One hand with blood pouring.