Nuh Ibrahim (1913-1938) was arguably the leading poet of the 1936 Arab Revolution in British-occupied Palestine. In 1936, Ibrahim joined the Palestinian national liberation movement, joining the same brigades that al-Qassam had organized. It was around this time that Ibrahim published a collection of his nationalist (or militant) poems, which was quickly banned in Palestine. He was imprisoned for five months in 1937 following the publication of his poem, “Commander Dill,” which skewered the top British military commander in Mandate Palestine. In October 1938, Nuh and three other militants were traveling outside the village of Tamra when they were killed by a British patrol who threw their bodies down a well. Later, local residents retrieved and buried the bodies in the local cemetery.
Though Ibrahim was only 25 years old when he was martyred, his poems and songs (almost entirely in the Palestinian Colloquial, rather than Modern Standard Arabic) remain popular, having been long part of nationalist song repertoires, and performed by bands such as Firqat al-Ashiqeen.
“The Arab and Zionist Debate”
by Nūḥ Ibrāhīm
trans. Ahmed Saidam and Elliott Colla
The Arab:
I’m an Arab, my Dears.
At death’s embrace, cast me
To erase the Zionist’s name
And defend my country, Palestine,
From the schemes of settlers!
The Zionist:
I’m a well-known Zionist
In this world, I play an open game
Wiliness and bluff are all that I own
I must have Palestine!
Palestine must be mine!
The Arab:
It’ll be yours by early tomorrow morning
` When woe and falling befall you
And you meet the Angels at the Gates.
On Judgment Day, you poor fellow,
That’s when Palestine will be yours!
The Zionist:
I’m a fleer, not a fighter
My daughters answer for me
With them, I never lose
Out of a ten times, I win nine
I must have Palestine!
The Arab:
Uff—I spit on those kind of men
Who boast with such words.
Your hopes are all in vain.
Your luck is awful, it’s rotten.
Time to leave, you misbegotten..
The Zionist:
Khabeebee, listen to my words,
No matter what I see before me,
A national homeland remains my goal..
To Zionize Palestine…
Palestine must be mine!
The Arab:
You’ll never live to see it!
Go on being freshly plucked
A sheep pretending to be a lion,
You will see the fatal sign
If you stay here in Palestine.
The Zionist:
I’m sick of the whole world
And the lands that rejected me.
Now you are also chasing after me,
To take away my Palestine
Land of my ancient bloodline.
The Arab:
What a load of nonsense.
Sounds like you got lost in a dream.
Palestine is Islam’s birthplace,
Cradle of Christ and Prophets, too.
Where’re you going, fool?
The Zionist:
I can’t leave it behind,
I must save my forest.
Either I win or I lose.
I won’t leave Palestine.
Palestine must be mine.
The Arab: You must go.
The Zionist: I won’t leave.
The Arab: Why are you still standing here?
The Zionist: I’m not afraid.
The Arab: Consider how this will end.
The Zionist: Do whatever you want.
The Arab: Bam bam bam bam.
The Zionist:
What a loss! What a disaster!
I lost my money, all that I owned!
I’ve lost all of Palestine!
Source: Nūḥ Ibrāhīm, Majmū‘at qaṣā’id Falasṭīn al-mujāhida (Damascus: Maṭba‘at al-I‘tidāl, N.D. [1939?], 19-20.
"محاورة العربي والصهيوني"
للشاعر نوح إبراهيم
العربي:
أنا العربي يا عيوني
عند الموت ارموني
بمحي اسم الصهيوني
لاحمي بلادي فلسطين
من كيد المستعمرين
الصهيوني:
أنا الصهيوني المعروف
وامري في الدنيا مكشوف
رسمالي مكر وبلوف
ولازم أملك فلسطين
ولازم أملك فلسطين
العربي:
بمتلكها بكرة بكير
لما تشوف هم وتعتير
وتقابل ناكر ونكير
يوم القيامة يا مسكين
حتى تملك فلسطين
الصهيوني:
بهرب انا ما بحارب
وبناتي عني بتجاوب
فيهم ما برجع خايب
وبكسب بالمية تسعين
ولازم أملك فلسطين
لعربي:
أخ تفو على هيك رجال
بفتخروا بهالأقوال
خابت منك الآمال
وقعتك قطران وطين
ولازم ترحل يا لعين
الصهيوني:
خبيبي اسمع كلامي
مهما شفت قدامي
الوطن القومي مرامي
علشان صهيون فلسطين
ولازم أملك فلسطين
العربي:
والله عمرك ما بتشوف
ولازم تضلك منتوف
عامل سبع يا خروف
لازم تشوف غراب البين
إذا بقيت بفلسطين
الصهيوني:
كل الدنيا زهقتني
ومن بلادها رفضتني
وأنت كمان لاحقني
لتحرمني من فلسطين
بلاد أجدادي من سنين
العربي:
حاجة تخبص بالكلام
كنك غارق في المنام
فلسطين مهد الإسلام
والمسيح والمرسلين
فين رايح يا مسكين
الصهيوني:
مش ممكن أرحل عنها...
ولازم غابتي أنقذها
با بكسب يا بخسرها
ما برحل عن فلسطين
ولازم أكسب فلسطين
العربي: لازم ترحل
الصهيوني: ما برحل
العربي: بعدك واقف
الصهيوني: أنا موش خايف
العربي: وقف شوف آخرتك
الصهيوني: اعمل انت اللي بدك
العربي: بم بم بم بم
الصهيوني:
آه يا خسارتي ويا مصيبتي
ضاع المال والراسمال
وراحت مني الحزيطة فلسطين