Thalath Qasa2id (Three Poems)
Album: Ghanni 3an Ta3rif
Lyrics: Shahd Issawi
Composed by: Abu Rabus
Perform by: Riyad Sliman
Three Poems
Once upon a time, before the age of man, before love and faith
Creatures more grand than demons, with two faces and two genitals, and a body round like a whale
They had no backs, like two lovers with animosity in their dance
With four legs and four arms, fast as arrows
Three were their sexes, male, female and a mixture of the two is called muse (Ilham)
From perfection the earth created them, with no faults or defects
They were content with themselves, in their strength they were proud to the heights they would shout, cursing their gods
Their hearts filled with pride, and they thought themselves superior to the stars of the sky
Till the gods of the earth, sky, sea and desert gathered to decide their fate
Flood, storms and rain was Ishtar’s judgment, Tammuz argued with her, judging fire as the better fate
I have no mercy for them, said the mighty Ashur, I will crush and control them with my hands
Then Ba’al shouted, it would be a loss to kill them, we hope for their worship, and here’s what he did, he brought rain and wind, lighting and ice, splitting their body into two, turning them into two sexes instead of three, one soul turned into two, one body became of two backs
Next came Isis to heal the wounds, made them unite, as a reminder of the disaster that had befallen them
Kisses and sex were not enough, their tries to unite failed
Till the return to perfection became impossible
So the soul shouted to its fellow soul in yearning, and the body to its fellow body in passion and desperation
And so man loved man, and woman loved woman, and in the ecstasy of the same sex’s union, the closest form of perfection was reached
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“Ghanni A`an Taa`rif” (Singing Sexuality) is a Palestinian youth music project, and an initiative of alQaws for Sexual and Gender Diversity in Palestinian Society. The project emerged from the desire of alQaws activists to reach out to Palestinian youth. alQaws aspired to open new discussions about sexuality and gender diversity in Palestinian society through music. Music is an expressive art form that has the potential to make us think and feel; it is a driver and catalog of revolutionary social movements, this one no exception.
The media campaign for the project was launched on the first of May 2013, primarily through Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and email. The Facebook page holds all relevant information about "Ghanni A`an Taa`rif", as well as all written and visual materials that were and will be produced. These include three promotional teaser videos directed by Eli Reziq and Shahd Issawi. The campaign also included graffiti painted on the walls of Jaffa, Haifa and other cities.
Click here to visit Ghani website.