The New Ten Commandments

By Fadhil Al Azzawi
Translated by Zeina Issa

Do not light up a match in a forest
A bird is afraid of fire!

Do not block the sun
Someone might be seeking light!

Do not stop the dessert wind
Bedouins might be praying for rain!

Do not stare in the mirror
Lest you become another!

Do not spit in a bitter well
It might quench your thirst one day!

Do not copulate with a barren woman
She might give you a child!

Do not raise your voice in darkness
Lonely ghosts can hear you and enter your home!

Do not play with an executioner’s rope
It could lead to your hanging!

Do not supress your joys behind a mask
While singing in the wind, the wind might lift it up !

Do not adopt a history unless you make it
History might crush you!