Bambi thanks her friend in Central Canada for sharing a musical performance, of a song called Voilà, that gave her goosebumps. Indeed, listening to the TALENTED singer, called Ms. Barbara Pravi, on her phone before closing her eyes to sleep last night put an instant smile on her face, along with a silent tear.
However, beyond this musical discovery, there is Bambi’s wonderful friend who warms her heart each time he inquires about her family in Beirut. Indeed, their enriching 26-year-long friendship is one of the most beautiful blessings of her life. The latter is true at all times, especially when life seems surreal yet sadly not surprising. Merci, cher ami❤️!
As for you dear readers, it is Bambi’s wish that you will enjoy this post with its two songs: Voilà as well as “A Prayer to Heal” [Une prière pour guérir, in French], also shared by her friend. Of note, following the second song, you can find an English translation of its lyrics, as provided by YouTube.
May the healing power of music comfort all the aching hearts. May this beautiful song give us all hope for brighter days for our deeply troubled world, especially (but not only) its Middle East. As for you, Aliènette and Ms. Pravi, thanks for existing. Please keep singing!
“It’s nothing
That a pain that lasts and lasts,
It becomes armor or a brake
A beautiful morning
It’s nothing
Everything dies and fades and that’s good
Even the smell of a flower, of a perfume
It all goes away
Everything, we heal from everything
I don’t ask for anything
Even on my knees, I wait, I hold
Yes, I remember everything
We heal from everything
I don’t ask for anything
I hope in everything
It’s nothing,
Yes, it’s part of the way
Because everything passes and trains pass
Until the next one
It’s nothing,
On a world scale, no, nothing
Yes, cherish every second that comes
Cherish yours
Because after all
We heal from everything
I don’t ask for anything
Even on your knees,
I wait, I hold,
Yes, I remember everything
We heal from everything
I don’t ask for anything
I hope in everything
I’m waiting for tomorrow
I’m waiting for tomorrow
And nothing and no one will burn in the summer
Will not impose autumn, in our decided hearts
To not let anyone slow us down, hold us back
I swear I sing it, we’re going to enjoy growing old
We will smile again
We will dream again,
We will love each other again
And even stronger
We are going to grow our hearts until we go crazy and even if it’s scary!
Bambi was deeply moved when she received an email from Jihane, Firas’ sister. The war in Lebanon made her think even more about her brother in heaven, wondering what his thoughts would have been about what is happening. As well, she thought about how upset her brother would have been to see their/our beloved birth country destroyed once again. Bambi thanked her and shared that the latter also crossed her mind.
This being said, below she will share with you one of Firas’ articles that his sister pulled out. It is one of her favourite pieces. You will see why below. First, and in bold, you can read the original French text. Second, you can read its English translation by Bambi with the assistance of the faithful Mr. Google translate.
May Jihane and her family members be all safe and sound. Bambi sends her (broken) heart to them. May Firas’ memory be eternal, today more than ever. May he watches over them and over his beloved Lebanon from heaven. Most importantly, may he keep uniting and inspiring us postmortem, just as he did during his short life among us.
“Sarajevo… ville au destin brisé
Sarajevo, une ville au destin brisé. Encore un rendez-vous manqué de convivialité et de pluralisme entre différentes ethnies. Toi qui ne voyais qu’un avenir plein de Lumière, ton ciel est aujourd’hui illuminé par celles de la haine. Tes toits aux tuiles rouges sont massacrés par les puissants souffles d’explosions. Tes enfants ont oublié à quoi ressemble une nuit de sommeil.
Et comme si la douleur ne te suffisait point, ils t’ont aussi humiliée: tu as été trainée sans vergogne sur tous les écrans du monde et à la une des journaux. Ton âme malmenée et ton corps couvert de sang sont exhibés partout. Le message est clair, ils veulent montrer à des téléspectateurs et lecteurs qui ignorent le goût d’une nuit passée dans une cave humide à se demander si viendra un lendemain, que la folie peut frapper n’importe où, n’importe quand même au Coeur de l’Europe. Que la guerre n’est pas seulement le lot d’une Afrique affamée, d’une Asie pliant sous le poids d’une démographie galoppante ou d’une Amerique latine déchirée par les tiraillements idéologiques.
Ils déploient au premier coup de feu – pourtant prévu – des caravanes d’aide humanitaire et des soldats de la paix baillonnés, qui finissent par être les otages muets de la violence.
Ils envoient leurs représentants dans d’interminables ballets diplomatiques, font pression sur un tel, essaient de faire taire tel autre et font semblant de vouloir satisfaire tout le monde. Malheureusement, personne ne l’est et la violence reprend de plus belle, pour aboutir de nouveau sur une solution façonnée dans les grands salons des capitales de la décision. Au fond de toi, tu sais que le remède ne peut absolument pas venir des mains de ceux qui n’ont même pas le courage de dénoncer les coupables par leurs noms.
De ceux qui par hypocrisie, ou de peur de froisser une ex-puissance pourtant agonisante, refusent de te prendre entre leurs puissants bras protecteurs.
Seuls tes enfants qui, eux, ont goûté réellement aux malheurs qui se sont succédé à la porte, peuvent te sauver. Quand le moment viendra, ils le feront sans hesitation aucune, d’une main sûre et d’un pas rassurant. Sarajevo, sèche tes pleurs, demain tes mosquées et tes églises revivront, et le printemps sera au rendez-vous, celui que tes propres enfants t’offriront!
Un enfant de Beyrouth.
Serge F. Merhi
Montreal, 15 Fevrier 1994”
“Sarajevo… city with a broken destiny
Sarajevo, a city with a broken destiny. Another meeting lacking conviviality and pluralism between different ethnic groups. You who only saw a future full of Light, your sky is today illuminated by those of hatred. Your red-tiled roofs are massacred by the powerful blasts of explosions. Your kids have forgotten what a night’s sleep feels like.
And as if the pain was not enough for you, they also humiliated you: you were shamelessly dragged on all the screens in the world and on the front pages of newspapers. Your battered soul and your blood-covered body are on display everywhere. The message is clear, they want to show viewers and readers who are unaware of the taste of a night spent in a damp cellar wondering if there will be tomorrow, that madness can strike anywhere, anytime, even in the heart of Europe. That war is not only the lot of a starving Africa, of an Asia bending under the weight of a galloping population or of a Latin America torn apart by ideological tensions.
At the first shot – although expected – they deploy humanitarian aid caravans and gagged peacekeepers, who end up being the mute hostages of violence.
They send their representatives into endless diplomatic ballets, put pressure on one person, try to silence another person and pretend to want to please everyone. Unfortunately, no one is and the violence resumes with a vengeance, leading once again to a solution shaped in the great salons of the decision-making capitals. Deep down, you know that the cure absolutely cannot come from the hands of those who do not even have the courage to denounce the culprits by name.
Of those who, out of hypocrisy, or for fear of offending a dying former power, refuse to take you in their powerful protective arms.
Only your children, who have truly tasted the misfortunes that followed one another at the door, can save you. When the time comes, they will do it without hesitation, with a sure hand and a reassuring step. Sarajevo, dry your tears, tomorrow your mosques and your churches will come back to life, and spring will be there, the one that your own children will offer you!
Montreal-based, Nicola Ciccone wrote a moving French song on love following the 9/11 tragedy. Bambi shared it on this blog, 3 years ago, while remembering this awful day.
Sadly, Mr. Ciconne’s song remains timely in our deeply troubled world, especially miles away in the Middle East and, sadly closer to us, including the streets of Montreal yesterday afternoon (https://shorturl.at/Gdj8T; https://shorturl.at/5VTRE). Indeed, what appears like a provocation (i.e. choice of the day for these demonstrations, as expressed by all panelists), vandalism, and unwise slogans of exclusion or cancellation toward anyone or even any nation (i.e., including the one attacking/invading Lebanon right now), are simply unacceptable in Canada, especially on a sad day for humanity like October 7. Plus, all this does not help in finding solutions or serve peace one day. It can only risk adding fuel to the fire.
Indeed, conflicts are clearly more complex than we might think when we are upset. Who knows? Perhaps some of us might be more prone to thinking that matters are black and white (good or bad, this or that, etc.). They are not that simple. There are shades or nuances we might be missing, despite any good intention.
Regardless, she does not know about you, but in Bambi’s mind, innocent people of all sides deserve to stop suffering. When will everyone heal, live in safety, dignity, hopefully peace, and ideally love?
To conclude this post, it is Bambi’s hope that love will prevail in people’s hearts (despite grief, anger, despair, or any preferred side or tribe). Following the YouTube song, if you wish, you can read an English translation of Mr. Ciconne’s beautiful French lyrics.
No argument can justify it, not even one’s own suffering or history.
On the contrary, when we have suffered, we can refuse to harm innocent human beings.
Ironically, many of the 1200 victims were peace activists and supportive of Gazans. Not all were Jewish. A few were even Muslim.
As a reminder, some of the victims are seniors, youth who were dancing, children, and even infants (a baby, Bibas, is still in captivity. Can you imagine his family’s suffering?).
They were massacred, raped, kidnapped, and/or their dead bodies were disrespected. Some of the latter are fellow Canadian citizens. May their families have lots of courage on the first anniversary of their tragedy.
May the memory of the dead be eternal.
May all the injured heal, physically and mentally.
May the kidnapped be freed. May their families be finally relieved.
May inner peace prevail in the hearts of the survivors. Same wishes for the grieving families, as per the French-Canadian song shared below.
May the same G-D/Allah/God of love forgive the perpetrators of this carnage for their barbaric behaviours, especially if they were under any substance abuse. May he inspire them to re-connect with their critical thinking and sense of perspective. Only then, they can resist, whatever they want to resist, in more peaceful ways… and even with humanity.
Until then, may God have mercy on the Middle East, including Bambi’s beloved Lebanon.
It is both heart-breaking and worrisome to hopelessly see Beirut aching and burning.
It is also sad, beyond words, to see tiny Lebanon being destroyed once again.
Bambi sends her heart to the injured, displaced, lost, scared, tired, frustrated, and grieving citizens and/or residents of the land of cedars.
Last but not least, it is surreal to hear the STRONG Israeli shelling in the background of a voicemail with her sister in the middle of her sleepless night. May God protect her et al.
This being said, this post will now offer five songs to the Lebanese capital, which is Bambi’s beloved place of birth.
A first song for Beirut in Standard Arabic (with beautiful images):
2. A second and moving patriotic Lebanese-Arabic song with a ray of hope for Beirut:
3. A third, older, and powerful song for Beirut in Standard Arabic (with English sub-titles):
4. A fourth, old, and heart-warming French song from a lover of Beirut, Mr. Enrico Macias:
5. A fifth and lovely Lebanese-Arabic song dedicated to Beirut:
This young activist is free to think and also say whatever he wishes, of course (same for different opinions or no opinion). Bambi defends his right to freedom of expression. However, she would like to reply to him in this post, if she may.
If there is one word that she dislikes, and cannot stand anymore, in the Arabic language, it is actually the overused term martyr (or shaheed). Here is why: Innocent people of the Middle East (in all its beautiful countries, including both Palestine and now Lebanon) do no want to be “Shouhada” (martyrs). They want to live rather. They are struggling to survive this absurd war. So, please stop and think before educating your fellow Canadians about the value of death through this concept.
As an alternative, how about telling them about the will to simply live (ideally in dignity), to be safe, to dream of solutions, peace, and prosperity for a change? To live and be able to go to school, to innovate, to earn a living, to spread compassion and love around them and to the world, by extension?
If some want to die as “martyrs”, it is their own choice. They must not impose it on others who do not want to be caught in the middle of the shelling between Israel and the other fighters (Hezbollah, Hamas, and their Islamist sister organizations). For those specifically, your explanation of martyrdom applies well, especially from their point of view: “Martyrdom, to be killed fighting for a cause greater than yourself, is the most honourable thing you can do, and this is in itself is a victory“.
To say things more bluntly, if anyone from Bambi’s circle of dad, family, and friends die in this conflict, she refuses to call them martyrs. She will call them victims like the innocent people of Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Yemen, Irak, Saudi Arabia, Gulf countries, and… by extension the entire world where there are wars, including but not limited to Ukraine, Russia, Armenia, etc. Enough of violence and stop to the culture of death, please.
When Bambi was about 8 year-old, growing up in the middle of civil war in the so-called former “East Beirut“, the shelling hit a nearby school. Her dear cousin was badly injured among many other young friends. Thank Goodness he survived. His only peer who died happened to be Muslim, ironically…. with a bomb coming from the former “West side of Beirut“, predominantly (but not only) Muslim. Do you see the irony?
The tragic story shared above is not surprising given that bombs (or violence) do not differentiate between people’s characteristics such as ethnolinguistic background, age, sex/gender, religion, sexual orientation, height, weight, political affiliation, etc. The latter was one of Bambi’s lessons from the school of life, especially in times of armed conflicts.
However, the Mollahs of Iran, blinded by hate or excited by their nuclear adventure, do not seem to see the irony of their escalating action of yesterday (about 200 ballistic missiles targeting Israel), which resulted in the death of a Palestinian man. May his memory be eternal (https://tinyurl.com/3kaa72vy).
In the same vein, the second irony is Hamas that “praises ‘heroic’ missile attacks launched by Iran” (https://tinyurl.com/ycaswhba) and who cares about the poor Gazan who lost his life?
When will the bloody nightmare of revenge and hate end in the Middle East? When will we will find a solution to this absurd conflict that is burning Lebanon, so peace can finally prevail there and across all the nations? And what about compassion, especially in “spiritual men”?
A picture taken from the CBC: “A cleric clenches his fist as he celebrates Iran’s missile strike against Israel at a gathering at Felestin (Palestine) Square in Tehran Tuesday. Israel has vowed retaliation and the nature of the response will undoubtedly have far-reaching implications, writes CBC’s Chris Brown from Jerusalem. (Vahid Salemi/The Associated Press)”
This morning, Bambi started the day with news of shelling in Beirut, perhaps five-seven minutes away from her dad’s place. She rushed to the phone to call and check on him.
Now, at the end of the same day, she is hearing yet other worrisome escalating news from the Middle East. This time about missiles from Iran toward Israel. Who pays the price of any conflict? As usual, innocent people on all sides. Make no mistake about it.
May God/G-d/Allah of love have mercy on everyone. May God know how to protect the aching and apparently sinking boat of Lebanon with ALL its innocent people, along with those who have played with the fire.
Even if her mind, soul, and heart are with the people of her birth country as well as with her family and friends there, Bambi’s heart has enough room to also feel for all those suffering from this insanity. This includes the innocent people of both Israel as well as Palestine, the people of Syria as well as those in Iran (minus their unwise and illuminated Mollahs), those of the entire Middle East, and the whole world.
Enough of cruelty toward innocent people. Enough of playing with their lives and sanity.
