”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