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Should I speak an ode or
an elegy
On Jerusalem the gem of
the worlds
That shines as no
gem can
With sanctity to all
the universe
Its hallowed soil embraces
all the nations
People battling people to hold
it in possession
Its earth was bathed with
Saladin’s rose water
And the blood of
righteous Prophets
O Jerusalem! We morosely yearn for
your freedom
That your sacred sanctuaries
celebrate peace
For you are the city of
peace
Deprived of the tranquil embrace
of nations
The Aqsa Mosque mourns the distant
equity of Umar
Entombed in a dearth of human
justice
And Jesus weeps though
departed
For the slaying of innocent
life
Muhammad’s first qibla awaits
redemption
That peace with heaven
finds anchor
While justice on earth is at
last realized
That the world’s jewel
restores its joy
Blessed is the city of
peace
Jerusalem, God’s city on
earth
Mr. Khaled Nusseibeh is
a translator and writer. He currently manages the Ubada Center for
Writing and Translation Services in
Amman, Jordan. Born in Amman in 1961, he obtained his BA and MA from
Columbia and Princeton
Universities, respectively Mr.Nusseibeh, who originates from
Jerusalem, specialized in Near Eastern Studies with a
focus on Islamic thought and studies.
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