Inch Allah

I saw the East in its jewel
With the moon as a banner
And I planned in a quatrain
To sing to the world its light

But when I saw Jerusalem
Poppy on a rock
I heard a requiem when
When I leaned over it

Don't you see, humble chapel
You who whisper peace on the earth
That the birds hide with their wings
These letters of fire: Danger frontier!

The path leads to the fountain
You would like to fill your bucket
Stop, Mary Magdalene
For them, your body is not worth the water

God willing, God willing
God willing, God willing

And the olive tree weeps its shadow
Its tender wife, its friend
Who rests under the rubble
Prisoners in enemy land

On a barbed wire thorn
The butterfly watches the rose
People are so scatterbrained
That they will repudiate me if I dare

God of hell or God of heaven
You who are where you seem good
On this land of Israel
There are children who tremble

God willing, God willing
God willing, God willing

Women fall under the storm
Tomorrow, the blood will be washed
The road is made of courage
One woman for a stone

But yes: I saw Jerusalem
Poppy on a rock
I still hear that requiem
When I lean over it

Requiem for 6 million souls
Who do not have their marble mausoleum
And who, despite the infamous sand
Have made 6 million trees grow

God willing, God willing
God willing, God willing