A letter to Nouri Al-Maliki

A letter to Nouri Al-Maliki

In case he understands the meanings of letters

You are the agent of Iran

It doesn’t make any difference whether you admit or deny it

You are the master of sectarianism

It doesn’t matter if you swore you are not

You are the head of ethnic wars

Whether you agree or not

You are the bubble and you are the stinking

Not those whom you accused

After all, it is true what the proverb says

“If you don’t have any shame, then it doesn’t matter what you do or say”

Shame on your baldness and white hair

If the blood of the Iraqis will not make you ashamed

Oh Nouri, You could be the light that

Makes the life of all the Iraqis brighter

But, instead, you preferred to be a slut

Because that is how you were and how you are

It is true that I don’t know personally

But I can tell who you are from your friends and allies

What happened in the near past in Al-Huyaija (recent massacre in Iraq)

Will strike you back soon, whether you cry or pretend you do

The way the free Iraqis will respond to what you did is

What you will see, but not what you heard

In case you don’t understand in peaceful demonstrations

Then soon you will understand in a different way

Don’t let the title of the Prime Minister fools you

Because you are just a cheap servant, in case you don’t know

The brave ones will get you out of your drain-pipe

No matter how long you hid in it or defend it

***

You and your neighbor whom we call in Syria “the corrupted”

We will bring both of you fire, believe it or not

I laughed yesterday while I was listening to your speech

Asking God to be your witness that you told the truth

What I heard you saying indicated that

You are still a child

Every time you talk, you make me remember Mussaylama (A famous liar)

And you make me remember Al-Alkammi (A famous traitor)

But you also make me remember Al-Hajaj (A famous avenger)

The Iraqis will avenge what you did, even though you don’t recognize them

***

A Poem translation

Tarif Youssef-Agha

An Expatriate Arab Syrian Writer & Poet

Member of the ‘Syrian Revolutionary Writers Assembly’

Few days after the Maliki regime of Iraq opened fire on peaceful demonstrators in the town of Huyaija, killing and injuring about 200.

Friday April 26, 2013

Houston, Texas

http://sites.google.com/site/tarifspoetry