Love the Palestinian Way

I live, through the drought, upon figs and olive oil*
And I wear your nakedness as a scented dress
And I build from the relics within your eyes a house
And I love you, alive. and I love you, dead,
And if I am hungry, I fill up on Zaatar**
And I wipe my face with your longing hair
So my dusted face would blush
and I am born in your palms, an infant
and I grow, and grow and get older
And when I am dragged, alone, to be whipped in humiliation
flogged by a whip at every police station
I feel that we are two lovers, who have died from infatuation
A dark skinned girl and a dark skinned boy
You become me and I become you
Delicious figs
Peeled almonds***
And when the soldiers crush my skull
and I am made to drink the coldness of jail
so I may forget you
I love you even more
I live, through the drought, upon figs and olive oil*
And I wear your nakedness as a scented dress
And I build from the relics within your eyes a house
And I love you, alive. and I love, dead,
And if I am hungry, I eat Zaatar**

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*figs and olives are symbolic of Palestinian agriculture
** Zaatar- a stable in every palestinian diet (http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/zaatar-106776)
*** Peeled almonds are a treat

أعيشك في المحلِ تيناً وزيتاً.....
وألبسُ عريكِ ثوباً مُعطر
وأبني خرائب عينيكِ بيتاً
وأهواكِ حياً، وأهواك ميتاً..........
وإنْ جعت أقتاتُ زعترْ
وأمسح وجهي بشعركِ الملتاع..
ليحمرَ وجهي المغبرْ
وأولدُ في راحتيك جنيناً..
وأنمو وأنمو وأكبر
,,,,
وحين أساقُ وحيداً لأجلدَ في الذلِ...
أضرب بالسوطِ في كلِ مخفرْ
أحسُ بأنا حبيبانِ ماتا من الوجدِ
سمراءْ وأسمرْ
تصيرينني وأصيرك ِ
تيناً شهياً
لوزاً مقشرْ
,,,,
وحين يهشمُ رأسي الجنود...
وأشربُ بردَ السجون...
لأنساك ِ..
أهواكِ أكثر
أعيشكِ في المحلِ تيناً وزيتاً.....
وألبسُ عريكِ ثوباً معطر
وأبني خرائب عينيك بيتاً
وأهواكِ حياً، وأهواك ميتا..........
وإن جعت أقتات زعتر

The above is a powerful poem by Abdul-Latif Aqil that I attempted to translate I am sure some of the powerful imagery will be lost in translation. Here is the poem being sung by Kamilia Jubran