Song Zahrat el Madaenpar the Rahbani brothers and Said Akl
Zahrat el Madaen(The holy city), by the Rahbani brothers in collaboration with the poet SaidAkl, Festival des Cèdres, 1967.
Translation
For you, oh city of prayer, I pray
For you who has the most beautiful houses, flower of cities
Oh Jerusalem, oh city of prayer, I pray
Oh holy city, our eyes (turned) towards you, each day, contemplating the 'Temples',embracing
the old Churches and wiping away the sadness of the Mosques
Oh night of Al-Isra, the path of those who are in heaven
Each day, our eyes towards you, I pray
In the grotto, the child and his mother Mary,
Two faces that weep,
For those who have been exiled, for the homeless children
For those who have been beaten at the gates of the city (who defend their house) and who have died as martyrs
The city of peace has been transformed into a city of war and there is no longer justice
With the destruction of the holy city
Love has recoiled, and war has colonised the heart of the world
In the grotto, the child and his mother Mary,
Two faces that weep, and I, I pray
In spite of all the devastating anger that comes, I have faith
In spite of all the anger that comes, I shall endure
By all roads, it comes
On horses, it comes
There is no doubt, it comes
The gate of our city will not be closed
And I, I pray
I will knock on the doors and I will open them
And you, Oh (river) Jordan, you will wash my face with your holy water
The devastating anger comes
By all roads it comes, it comes
On horses it comes,
There is no doubt, it comes
And the face of violence shall be beaten
It is our house, Jerusalem is ours
And by our hands we shall return Jerusalem to her splendour
By our hands, peace will return
