”Arabic Music,” a Poem by Mahmoud Darwish

“If only men were stones.”
If only I were a stone…

Whenever the eyes wander,
Do these clouds, one by one,
Put me to flight?
When a sparrow scratches at the horizon
Do I search for an idol?

At each shining guitar
Does my spirit
Give way to its own demise
In the ships’ foaming wake—

When a woman finds her womanhood
Does the flash at my waist catch me in its light
And burn me!

When the mallow withers
And the bird cries upon its branch
Am I made ill
Or do I awaken: oh, my country!
Do I catch fire in the flowering of almonds
And at each burning
Am I the smoke, a kerchief

Does the north wind
Tear me,
The rain erase my face?

“If only men were stones.”
If only I were a stone…

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From Darwish: Poems. Used with the permission of the publisher, Everyman’s Library. Copyright © 2026 by Mahmoud Darwish