Hello to everyone,
I was chatting with my friend ( N ) who said that when she left Iraq for Turkey she was so miserable and she didn't enjoy her time there because she had home sickness. Although she is not a writer and not the kind who is good with words, she felt that she needs to write.
I don't know why she told me this, maybe she passed on this blog and she was wondering whether it's mine or not.
Anyway, when she said that she felt homesickness and so she wanted to write a diary.
umm, I think that's exactly what I am feeling, I am feeling home sickness although I am stand still in Iraq.
When we traveled to Mecca or to Syria, I don't really want to get back.
Maybe because that There I felt peace which reminded me of my home (Iraq in it's shiny times) and that what I was and still looking to have!
So I think me and ( N ) have different side view for the whole situation.
Well, it's not only peace and the time limiting of the curfew!
Everything changed!! Even the people themselves including me!!
Before, when I watched the news and saw an injured person_ I colored my day with sad and some tears as adornment.
Now, if I watched news. My emotions don't really move by any sight!! Umm, I just change the channel and try to forget whatever I saw and this 90% worked with me!!
*Am I that kind who is trying to look straight?
*Or I am the person whose heart is hardened with times?
*Or I am just trying to escape from reality?
This is the question.
A relative of mine (who is in my list on facebook) shared a song called
( Je m'appele Baghdad ) by Tina Arena which I found it really amazing by it's words and voice that tend to tremble me
J’ai vécu heureuse - I lived happily
Dans mes palais - in my palaces
D’or noir et de pierres précieuses - of black gold and precious stones
Le Tigre glissait - The Tigris was flowing
Sur les pavés de cristal - on crystal cobblestones
Mille califes se bousculaient - thousand caliphs lined up
Sur mes carnets de bal - on my bal lists
On m’appelait - They called me
La Cité pleine de grâce - the city full of grace
Dieu - God
Comme le temps passe - how time goes by
On m’appelait - they called me
Capitale de lumière - capital of light
Dieu - God
Que tout se perd - everything gets lost
Je m’appelle Bagdad - My name is Baghdad
Et je suis tombée - and I fell
Sous le feu des blindés - under the fire of the tanks
Sous le feu des blindés - under the fire of the tanks
Je m’appelle Bagdad - My name is Baghdad
Princesse défigurée - disfigured princess
Et Shéhérazade - and Sheherazad
M’a oubliée - has forgotten me
Je vis sur mes terres - I live on my land
Comme une pauvre mendiante - as a poor begger
Sous les bulldozers - under the bulldozers
Les esprits me hantent - ghosts haunt me
Je pleure ma beauté en ruine - I weep over my beauty in ruins
Sous les pierres encore fumantes - under stones still smoldering
C’est mon âme qu’on assassine - its my soul they murder
On m’appelait - they called me
Capitale de lumière - capital of light
Dieu - God
Que tout se perd - everything gets lost
Je m’appelle Bagdad - My name is Baghdad
Et je suis tombée - and I fell
Sous le feu des blindés - under the fire of the tanks
Sous le feu des blindés - under the fire of the tanks
Je m’appelle Bagdad - My name is Baghdad
Princesse défigurée - disfigured princess
Et Shéhérazade - and Sheherazad
M’a oubliée - has forgotten me
Mes contes des mille et une nuits - My thousands and one nights stories
N’intéressent plus personne - don't interest anybody anymore
Ils ont tout détruit - they destroyed everything
Je m’appelle Bagdad - My name is Baghdad
Et je suis tombée - and I fell
Sous le feu des blindés - under the fire of the tanks
Sous le feu des blindés - under the fire of the tanks
Je m’appelle Bagdad - My name is Baghdad
Princesse défigurée - defaced princess
Et Shéhérazade - and Sheherazad
M’a oubliée - has forgotten me
5 comments:
Dear Hadia (or HNK),
Congradulations on your enormous achievement which I just found out about. I am sure that your book says things which really need to be said. I believe in you and I am so proud to have somewhat known you. The song you shared with us is haunting and heartbreaking. I have no right to say anything but I really do believe that Baghdad and Iraq will somehow be great again. It will be in the hands of people like you and Najma and Sunshine. Thanks very much.
Hadia, thanks for the song, it made me cry a bit. ;)
By the way, I don't know if this will be comforting or not, but some of the images in that song (except for the tanks and bombs of course) are similar to those used in part of the Bible called "Lamentations," a book of very sad poetry. It was said to have been written by the prophet Jeremiah (that's his name in English, I don't know what it is in Hebrew or Arabic), maybe about 2500 years ago, talking about how sad he was when his home city was destroyed by a foreign king in a big war. He also imagined his city as a princess who gets abused and insulted. In a way that makes things even sadder because it seems like destructive people are always destroying. But maybe it's also a sign of hope because it means that good people are also always rebuilding and trying to make life go on.
One more comment: I just ordered your book and also recommended it to my town library!
hooray, your writings on theater and writing much missed!
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