[This poem, by the legendary Egyptian vernacular poet, Ahmad Fu’ad Nigm (1929-), was put to music and sung by his comrade al-Shaykh Imam (1918-1995). It is one of the many memorable songs the duo produced decades ago. They are circulating widely these day as they speak of and to revolts, past and present. You can listen to Imam singing the poem here.]
This Script is my Script
Ahmad Fu`ad Nigm
This script is my script
These words are mine
O my eyes
cover the pages with tears
The olive shore is mine
The land is Arab
Its breezes are my breaths
Its soil is my people
Even if I have forgotten it
It will never forget me
This script is my script
These words are mine
I will write upon my eye:
May you never sleep
until I pay back my debt
like prayer and fasting!
I will block the light
with my tears all day long
Because a free man’s debt
is a burden of shame and bitterness
Grief that guards and tows
hidden sorrows
This script is my script
These words are mine
My blood is ink
I will write on my palm:
O my grit, let’s go on!
O my comrades, come along!
As soon as we fulfill our promise
we will say: In the name
of those who died young
at school and at home
At the factory that collapsed
over its workers
This script is my script
These words are mine
[Translated by Sinan Antoon]