Beirut has been destroyed and re-built seven times throughout history.
It will surely survive again… but for now, Beirut is just tired… of being tired.
Here is a song for you Beirut by Mr. Enrico Macias (video # 1) with beautiful pictures, followed by a short movie Bambi just discovered by Mr. Elie Fahed & Ms. Carmen Bsaibes (video # 2).
Hang on Beirut! It is not for nothing that you have been called “Sit el Dounya” (the Lady of the world). Further below you can see a translation of this beautiful poem by Mr. Nizar Quabbani written during war, which later became a famous song by Majida (video # 3).
Some used to call Beirut the “Paris of the Orient” or “the Switzerland of the Middle East”.
These days seem far away… and yet when we are a true lady, deep inside, we remain one even in our misery. Indeed, Bambi recalls very well the wise words that her grandmother Asma used to say: “The rich remains rich despite poverty… and the poor remains poor despite all the richness”. She meant the richness of the spirit, of course (not of the pocket).
Beirut you will surely rise again eventually, hoping your people will recover what has been stolen from their own pockets, along with their dreams!
Beirut Lady of the world (a poem by Mr. Nizar Quabbani)
“Ya Beirut
Ya Beirut…Lady of the World
We confess to the one and only God:
That we were envious of you
And your beauty was harming us
We confess now:
We maltreated you and we were not merciful
We did neither understand you nor excuse you
We handed you a dagger (or knife) instead of a rose
We confess to the just God:
We injured you and made you tired
We burnt you and made you weep
We burdened you O Beirut with our sins
Ya Beirut
The world is not enough
We now know your roots are deep within us
We now know what our hands had committed
Rise…Rise…Rise
Rise from beneath the rubble
Like an almond’s flower in April
Rise from your grief… Rise
For revolution is born from the womb of misery
Rise from beneath the rubble
Rise in honour of the forests
Rise for the love of rivers
Rise in honour of the rivers, valleys, and mankind…
Rise for the love of mankind
Rise oh Beirut ….Rise
Revolution is born from the womb of sorrows
Ya Beirut….Ya Beirut!”
