Monday, August 21, 2006

"Sanarjiou", Fairouz



We shall return to our village one day
And drown in the warmth of hope
We shall return no matter how much time goes by
And no matter how much distances grow between us

So, oh heart, slow down and do not drop exhausted
On the road of our return
It saddens us that tomorrow the birds will return
While we are still here

Over there, by the hills, there are hills
That sleep and wake up to our pledge
And people who love,
Their days being a calmness of waiting and sad singing
Meadows with willows as far as the eye can see,
Bending over every water stream
While afternoons drink in their shade
The perfume of calmness and the clarity of bliss

We shall return, the nightingale told me when we met on a hill
Those nightingales are still there living in our songs
And there is still among the yearning hills and people a place for us
So, oh heart, how distant winds scattered us...

Come on, we shall return, let's go.


Monday, August 14, 2006

Ceasefire in Lebanon

The UN Resolution 1701 (2006) calls for an immediate cessation of the hostilities in Lebanon and the deployment of Lebanese and multinational troops along the border between Lebanon and Israel.

Sunday, August 13, 2006

Lebanese jokes about war in Lebanon

I would like to post some Lebanese jokes that are circulating these days and that I received via email. Although they might seem inopportune to somebody, I see these jokes as an evidence that the sense of humour can persist even in the direst circumstances.

Why real estate prices went up in Ain El Rommaneh?

Li enno sarit bet toll 3al bahr...
(Because houses now enjoy a sea view)

(Ain El Rommaneh is a neighborhood in the hinterland of Beirut. It is separated from the sea by the Haret Hreik neighborhood and the 'dahiyeh' or banlieue, which were severely pounded by Israeli attacks over the last weeks)

Why the chi3a mabsoutin?
(Why are the Shi'a happy?)
Because wledoun saro bil maderis
(Because their children are now into schools)
(Displaced families are hosted in schools and universities across Lebanon. Shi'a are generally more disadvantaged than other confessional groups in terms of wealth and access to educational facilities.)

Why did Olmert call Fairouz?
To ask her about the location of Jisr al-Qamar
(Jisr al-Qamar, or 'The Moon bridge' is an opera sung by Lebanese diva Fairouz. Here it is a reference to the destruction of nearly all bridges in Lebanon)

Why did the Hamasneh go to Dahiyeh?
Cos they heard enno honik wel3aneh...
(Cause they heard you can have a blast there)
(The inhabitants of Homs in Syria are generally depicted in Lebanese jokes as not particularly clever, to put it mildly. The translation here is not accurate, but suggests a possible double significance in English)

Why do people in Dahiyeh raise their fingers in V?
Because there are two buildings left standing in Dahiyeh...
(Update, August 14: today they are probably raising their fingers for "victory" too)


It's four days that I'm awaken always by the same nightmare...
Drawing by Mazen Kermaj

Saturday, August 12, 2006

Save Lebanon



Last drawing if we die under the bombs tonight.
And the hope for tomorrow:

the child who'll be born tonight.
Drawing by Laure Ghorayeb

Friday, August 11, 2006

Angelo Frammartino, in memoriam

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

Ceasefire rally in Rome

Amnesty International organized a candlelight vigil in support of the cessation of hostilities in Lebanon and Israel on Monday 7. The rally took place in front of the Coliseum in Rome.






The rally closed a weekend that I dedicated to much more profane activities such as the Raphael exhibition at Galleria Borghese and Madonna's Confessions Tour 2006 concert at Stadio Olimpico.












>> This is for you, G!

Sunday, August 06, 2006

George Galloway speaks out

I'm not adding any additional comment. Just watch this, all the nine minutes of the footage:

Tuesday, August 01, 2006

"Bhibbak ya Lubnan", Fairouz



I love you Lebanon. My country, I love you

Your mountains, your South, your plains I love
You ask what happened and what has overcome me
I love you Lebanon, my country.

They asked me what's happening in the land of festivals
For it is strewn with fire and dynamite
I told them our land will be born anew
The land of dignity and a resilient people
How couldn't but love you? Even in your madness I love you
Because your love gathers us together when we are dispersed
And one grain of your soil equals the treasures of the world
I love you Lebanon, my country.


Lebanon in our hearts