Ahmad matter

Ahmat Mattar is an amazing poet, and I'm proud to say he's iraqi as well. His poetry is subtle and loud at the same time. mostly it's against the status quo of arab leadership now and 30 years ago, however this one is against the opression caused by the so called war on terror.

!نعـم .. أنا إرهابي
الغربُ يبكي خيفـةً
إذا صَنعتُ لُعبـةً
.مِـن عُلبـةِ الثُقابِ
وَهْـوَ الّذي يصنـعُ لي
مِـن جَسَـدي مِشنَقَـةً
.حِبالُها أعصابـي
والغَـربُ يرتاعُ إذا
إذعتُ ، يومـاً ، أَنّـهُ
.مَـزّقَ لي جلبابـي
وهـوَ الّذي يهيبُ بي
أنْ أستَحي مِنْ أدبـي
وأنْ أُذيـعَ فرحـتي
..ومُنتهى إعجابـي
!إنْ مارسَ اغتصـابي
والغربُ يلتـاعُ إذا
عَبـدتُ ربّـاً واحِـداً
.في هـدأةِ المِحـرابِ
وَهْـوَ الذي يعجِـنُ لي
مِـنْ شَعَـراتِ ذيلِـهِ
ومِـنْ تُرابِ نَعلِـهِ
ألفـاً مِـنَ الأربابِ
ينصُبُهـمْ فـوقَ ذُرا
مَزابِـلِ الألقابِ
لِكي أكـونَ عَبـدَهُـمْ
وَكَـيْ أؤدّي عِنـدَهُـمْ
!شعائرَ الذُبابِ
وَهْـوَ .. وَهُـمْ
سيَضرِبونني إذا
.أعلنتُ عن إضـرابي
وإنْ ذَكَـرتُ عِنـدَهُـمْ
رائِحـةَ الأزهـارِ والأعشـابِ
سيصلبونني علـى
!لائحـةِ الإرهـابِ
**
رائعـةٌ كُلُّ فعـالِ الغربِ والأذنابِ
أمّـا أنا، فإنّني
مادامَ للحُريّـةِ انتسابي
فكُلُّ ما أفعَلُـهُ
!نـوعٌ مِـنَ الإرهـابِ
**
هُـمْ خَرّبـوا لي عالَمـي
فليحصـدوا ما زَرَعـوا
إنْ أثمَـرَتْ فـوقَ فَمـي
وفي كُريّـاتِ دمـي
عَـولَمـةُ الخَـرابِ
.هـا أنَـذا أقولُهـا
..أكتُبُهـا .. أرسُمُهـا
أَطبعُهـا على جبينِ الغـرْبِ
:بالقُبقـابِ
!نَعَـمْ .. أنا إرهابـي
زلزَلـةُ الأرضِ لهـا أسبابُها
!إنْ تُدرِكوهـا تُدرِكـوا أسبابي
لـنْ أحمِـلَ الأقـلامَ
!بلْ مخالِبـي
لَنْ أشحَـذَ الأفكـارَ
!بـلْ أنيابـي
وَلـنْ أعـودَ طيّباً
حـتّى أرى
شـريعـةَ الغابِ بِكُلِّ أهلِها
.عائـدةً للغابِ
**
.نَعَـمْ .. أنا إرهابـي
أنصَـحُ كُلّ مُخْبـرٍ
ينبـحُ، بعـدَ اليـومِ، في أعقابـي
أن يرتـدي دَبّـابـةً
لأنّني .. سـوفَ أدقُّ رأسَـهُ
!إنْ دَقَّ ، يومـاً، بابـي

Here is the very rough translation (Note: Qubqab is an old style arabic shoe)
_______
Yes I am a terrorist,
The west screams in terror
if I made a toy
from a match box

Though he is the one who makes for me
From my body, a noose to hang me
Its ropes are my nerves

The west panics if
I, one day claimed
That he tore my clothes

He is the one that intimidates me into
Being shy of my morality
And to broadcast my happiness
And my utter awe
If he starts to rape me

The west panics if
I worshipped one god
In the serenity of my temple

He is the one who makes for me
From the hair on his tail
And from the dust of his shoes
Thousands of deities
To perch up on high
So that I may be THEIR slave
And so that I would carry out at their feet
the rituals of flies

And he, and tHEY
Would beat me if
I called a strike

And if I speak in their presence
Of the fragrances of the roses and the herbs
They will crucify me
On the stake of terrorism

All the deed of the west and their allies are achievements
Except for me, for if
As long as I belong to freedom
Then anything I do
Is counted as terrorism

They destroyed my world
So let them reap what they sowed
If over my mouth
And in my blood cells
The globalization of corruption came into fruition

Here I am, saying it
Writing it, drawing it
Imprinting it on the west’s forhead
With the Qubqab

YES I am a terrorist
The earth has its reasons for quaking
If you understand that, you’ll understand my reasons

I will not carry my pens
But my claws
I will not sharpen my thoughts
But my fangs

And I will not be happy
Until I see
The law of the jungle with all its decrees
Return to the jungle

Yes, I am a terrorist
I advice every investigator
Barking –after today- after me
To dress in a tank
Because I will knock him downIf he came one day knocking at my door