Statement

This project brings Palestinian poetry to public spaces in Scotland. It aims to listen to, celebrate and amplify Palestinian voices in Scotland so that we may bear witness to the lives of those who have been ignored by our policymakers. In these poems, shared with permission below, the authors sharpen our vision of life lived under Israeli apartheid. They remind us that when we fight for each other, we fight for the joyous celebration of our shared humanity.

As workers in the arts sector, we acknowledge the UK's historic and continued role in the colonisation of Palestine, and call upon Scottish and UK political leaders to demand an immediate ceasefire, the safe passage of humanitarian aid, and an end to Israeli occupation and apartheid. Our full statement is available after the poems.

Art Workers in Solidarity with Palestine

Poems

In order for me to write poetry that isn’t political,
I must listen to the birds
and in order to hear the birds
the warplanes must be silent
Marwan Makhoul
لكي أكتب شعرًا ليس سياسيًّا يجب
أن أصغي إلى العصافير،
ولكي أسمع العصافير يجب
أن تَخرس الطّائرة
مروان مخول
Oh rascal children of Gaza.
You who constantly disturbed me
with your screams under my window.
You who filled every morning
with rush and chaos.
You who broke my vase
and stole the lonely flower on my balcony.
Come back,
and scream as you want
and break all the vases.
Steal all the flowers.
Come back...
Just come back...
Khaled Juma
It has been 75 years since my name became obsolete…
but it will never be insignificant
Beneath the shelter and care of the Scots Pine and Heather, from exile,
I send the gentle Scottish wave to flow over you, Palestine,
to give you the strength to continue to resist and survive.
Nada Shawa
ﻟﻘﺪ ﻣﺮت ﺧﻤﺲٌ وﺳﺒﻌﻮن ﺳﻨﺔً ُ ﻣﻨﺬ أن ﻋﻔﻰ اﻟﺰﻣﻦ ﻋﻠﻰ اﺳﻤِﻲ،
لكنه ﻻ وﻟﻦ ﯾﺼﺒﺢ أﺑﺪا اﺳﻤﺎً ﺗﺎﻓﮭﺎ
ﻣﻦ ﺗﺤﺖ ظلال ِ أﺷﺠﺎرِ اﻟﺼﻨﻮﺑﺮ اﻻﺳﻜﺘﻠﻨﺪﯾﺔ اﻟﺘﻲ آوﺗﻨﻲ ﻓﻲ أﺣﻀــﺎﻧِﮭﺎ، ﻣﻦ اﻟﻤﻨﻔﻰ
أرﺳﻞ ﻟﻚِ، ﻟﻚِ ﯾﺎ ﻓﻠﺴﻄﯿﻦ، اﻟﻤﻮﺟﺔُ اﻻﺳﻜﺘﻠﻨﺪﯾﺔ اﻟﺮﻗﯿﻘﺔُ ﺗﻨﺴﺎب ﻓﻮﻗَﻚِ ،
ﻟﺘﻤﻨﺤﻚِ اﻟﻌﺰﯾﻤﺔُ ﻟﻼﺳﺘﻤﺮار ﺑﺎﻟﻤﻘﺎوﻣﺔ واﻻﺳﺘﻤﺮار ﺑﺎﻟﺤﯿﺎة.
ندى الشوا
I grant you refuge
from hurt and suffering.
 
With words of sacred scripture
I shield the oranges from the sting of phosphorous
and the shades of cloud from the smog.
 
I grant you refuge in knowing
that the dust will clear,
and they who fell in love and died together
will one day laugh.
Hiba Abu Nada
(trans. Huda Fakhreddine)
أعيذكِ أن تصابي
أو تعاني
فقد حوطتُ بالسبعِ
المثاني
 
من الفسفورِ طعمَ البرتقالِ
وألوانَ السحابِ
من الدخانِ
 
أعيذكِ
إنَّ من عشِقا وماتا
سينقشعُ الغبارُ
ويضحكانِ
 
اسم الله عليك يا غزة من مجيء الليل.
هبة أبو ندى
She asked me to write poetry - to whom?
Fuck poetry!
If you don't understand how many times our children have faced genocide,
how can you feel poetry?
Ghazi Hussein