Syria, the closest place to Heaven
Syria, the closest place to Heaven
By Tarif Youssef Agha
If you visit Syria, walk slowly and respectfully
As it is the closest place
It can be to Heaven
The caravans of martyrs are departing
Around the clock
Paying the price of Freedom and reclaiming the Homeland back
Caravans that have women and children
And have those who were killed secretly
And those who were killed publicly
Here flourished massacres, and also holocausts
Wherever you walk, you don’t know
Who is buried under your steps?
And there are also those who were cowardly sharp shot
History will never forget their memories
It will keep them alive in its heart
The angels’ wings don’t stop flapping
Carrying our beloved ones to another world
A world far away, but also near by
Liberating them from the prison of the Baath (Syria’s ruling party)
And leaving us behind
To fill its cells
If you come to Syria, prepare to be a martyr
As martyrhood might not be far away
Therefore, do not forget to buy your coffin
In spite of all that, all those people are
Celebrating and preparing for the coming Freedom
And singing ‘Oh our homeland, you are the heaven’
The Syrian people made up their mind
They either live in dignity
Or die and let the others live in dishonor
***
Poem translation
Tarif Youssef-Agha
An Expatriate Arab Syrian Writer & Poet
Member of the ‘Syrian Revolutionary Writers Assembly’
Houston, Texas
Friday October 26, 2012
http://sites.google.com/site/tarifspoetry