PEN SA Reiterates Its Support for the Poet Dareen Tatour

The trial of the Palestinian poet Dareen Tatour is currently under way. At present, according to the blog, Arabic Literature, Tatour is under house arrest, confined to a Tel Aviv apartment without access to the internet. In 2016, on the Day of the Imprisoned Writer, PEN International highlighted Dareen Tatour’s case, appealing to the Israeli Minister of Justice Ayelet Shaked to drop all charges against her.

PEN South Africa joined the call and sent a letter to the Israeli Minister of Justice.

With her trial underway, PEN SA wants to reiterate its support for Tatour. Below is her poem “Qawem Ya Shaabi Qawemahum” (“Resist my people, resist them”), the poem she is being persecuted for. Tatour first published the poem on Youtube and Facebook. It has been translated into English by the poet Tariq al Haydar. You can also watch Tatour talk about her house arrest here.

Resist, My People, Resist Them

Resist, my people, resist them.

In Jerusalem, I dressed my wounds and breathed my sorrows

And carried the soul in my palm

For an Arab Palestine.

I will not succumb to the “peaceful solution,”

Never lower my flags

Until I evict them from my land.

I cast them aside for a coming time.

Resist, my people, resist them.

Resist the settler’s robbery

And follow the caravan of martyrs.

Shred the disgraceful constitution

Which imposed degradation and humiliation

And deterred us from restoring justice.

They burned blameless children;

As for Hadil, they sniped her in public,

Killed her in broad daylight.

Resist, my people, resist them.

Resist the colonialist’s onslaught.

Pay no mind to his agents among us

Who chain us with the peaceful illusion.

Do not fear doubtful tongues;

The truth in your heart is stronger,

As long as you resist in a land

That has lived through raids and victory.

So Ali called from his grave:

Resist, my rebellious people.

Write me as prose on the agarwood;

My remains have you as a response.

Resist, my people, resist them.

Resist, my people, resist them.