As If...

It has been two years, Mother,
And the night of Damascus,
The jasmine of Damascus,
The houses of Damascus
Still inhabit our minds.
As if the Omayyad minarets
Are planted in our hearts.
As if the apple orchards
Are perfuming our conscience.
As if the lights and the stones
Have all traveled with us.

Nizar Qabbani 1923-1998
("Unofficial" translation)