IN PRAISE OF ALI is one of Charbel Baini's books translated by from Arabic by Naji Mourad, Joseph G. Yamouni, Elias Shaanin

Psalm 5

-1-

Men of religion vary,

I said it,

I say it and repeat,

They sowed dissension

Amongst mankind

And promised it a new life.

-2-

You wish us to belong to ALLAH.

With benevolence surging in our veins,

Eyes which traded their tears

Were ashamed of such deception.

-3-

You wish us not to be debased,

And madly crawl after money.

Everyone’s life diminishes..

Nothing but deeds remain

-4-

To make us equal

In the eyes of justice,

You armed yourself with self-denial

You derived no pleasure

From the speed of lightning..

Nor did you fear

To confront the darkness.

-5-

You described the ant

And the bat,

The description of the Creator

To His creation

You described a hypocrite

Living off his lies

For which he opened a market.

-6-

You described a locust

Its eyes so red,

A description

Defying scientific knowledge.

How did you manage

To spot it

Amid the overcrowding!

How did you film it!?

And how was the film!?

-7-

You whose eyes painted a universe,

The shape of which puzzles itself.

With a little brush

You forced the colour

To narrate fables to your letters.

-8-

Oh Ali..

You know the secret of the earth

And its living creatures as well.

I live in happiness,

When I confess;

That you are greater than man!!

**