Rahbani's If You Knew

It's been a while since I've done this. There are a few Rahbani pieces that fit quite well with the current political environment, but due to time constraints, I've chosen the shortest one to translate.

However, there is one that I will probably never get to because of its length, yet I urge you to listen to it on your own. This "Letter from the Citizens of Lebanon" is both sobering and depressing to listen to. It worth keeping in mind that this show Ziad was part of was made in 1975 - 1978. What have we learnt since then? What has changed?

For now, I'll leave you with a skit on the ubiquitous "mu'amara" which permeates almost all Lebanese and Arab discourse. Let me know what you think, of this, and of the "Letter from the Citizens of Lebanon".

A: Leik, nothing is vague, ever. Even the conspiracy isn't vague. I'm going to tell you something. If you knew, why it shouldn't be known who killed Maarouf Saad, if you knew why it shouldn't be known who organized the Ain El-Roumaneh Massacre, and if you knew why Syria refused to attend a conference by the Arab League that Kuwait wanted for the sake of Lebanon, if you knew who withdrew the airplanes from the command of Aziz El-Ahdab, and if you knew why Amin El-Gemayel was going to sign the petition for Franjieh's resignation, and who stopped him, and if you knew why Syria refused to make Raymond Edde the president of the republic, and what the nature of the relationship between it and Lebanon is, to reject and elect a president, and if you knew how those who had seiged Zahle now provide it with security, if you knew why Syria tried to speed Sarkis's election, yet at the same time supported Franjieh in his position, and how much this contradiction benefits Syria. Leik if you knew why Abdel Halim Khaddam cared so much about us, then you'd know who is responsible for the conspiracy.

B: Well, I am just wondering, how come we don't know who killed Maarouf Saad and who was responsible for the massacre, for example.

A: Yes, it's known. Who said that it isn't known?

B: No, how is it known? We don't know.

A: Ahhh, us. Why should we know?

B: What do you mean why should we know? So why shouldn't we be able to know, I want to know.

A: We aren't supposed to know, so it isn't known who is responsible for the conspiracy. It's the most basic thing.

B: Oh, so it's not supposed to be known who is responsible for the conspiracy.

A: Of course not.

B: Why not?

A: So it stays a conspiracy. And so the person who started the conspiracy, can point to others as being responsible for the conspiracy.

B: What kind of conspiracy is this??

A: Exactly.

B: Eh, bas this is a big conspiracy, you know? We should at least know who is responsible for it. A conspiracy exists, and no one knows who is doing it? What a conspiracy.

A: La2, inno, if you knew who was doing this conspiracy, what would happen?

B: In that case, you at least would know who you are dealing with.

A: But ... it's a conspiracy. And a conspiracy is always this way. Something would go on, and you wouldn't know it.

B: But do you realize that this is a huge conspiracy?

A: Eh walla I know.

posted by Lazarus, 7:37 AM