You Have Been Cruel To Me

You have been cruel to me
O Time, when you took away my young one,

You have been cruel to me
When you took my beloved Samar,

You have been cruel to me
When you abducted her,
Moments before she could say goodbye

You have been cruel to me
When you amputated a part of me
Disfiguring my being

You have been cruel to me
As you extinguished the light of my eyes
And plucked my rose from my garden

You have been cruel to me
When I received condolences for her
Two months after being congratulated

You have been cruel to me
When you took away my smile
And replaced it with sadness

You have been cruel to me
For not giving her time
To fulfill her dreams

You have been cruel to me
When you aborted the dreams
That we shared together

You have been cruel to me
For you made each mother’s nightmare
My constant reality

You have been cruel to me
Despite the patience that adorned me
And despite my faith

You have been cruel to me
Despite my knowledge
That everything on earth will vanish

You have been cruel to me
O Time, she has departed leaving me
Impotent, standing still

You have been cruel to me,
O Time, if only death did not call her,
But called me

Samar, you will always remain
The most beautiful name
My tongue constantly repeats.


From : SAMAR, Sunset and Sunrise
page 52
By: Randah Ribhi Hamadeh,2007 Copyright©

Translated: Lina Ribhi Hamadeh