Living the situation in Egypt, I have been unable to think about anything except what is going on in my home country, the change, the chaos, the struggle for power, the crisis, etc. It is a very hard time!

A poem that I studied at school keeps echoing in my mind. It is written by the famous Tunisian poet Abul Qassim Al Chabbi (أبو القاسم الشابي). The poem is called ‘The Will of Life’ (إرادة الحياة). I looked for the poem and the translation, and in this posting, I present the beginning of the poem and its translation. The poem is translated by: Mahmoud Abbas Masoud

إذا الشّعْبُ يَوْمَاً أرَادَ الْحَيَـاةَ = فلا بُدَّ أنْ يَسْتَجِيبَ القَـدَر
وَلا بُـدَّ لِلَّيـْلِ أنْ يَنْجَلِــي = وَلا بُدَّ للقَيْدِ أَنْ يَـنْكَسِـر

When people choose a noble and worthy existence
The Fates will accordingly respond
Gloom of night will lift and vanish
Fetters will break open

وَمَنْ لَمْ يُعَانِقْهُ شَوْقُ الْحَيَـاةِ = تَبَخَّـرَ في حرّهَـا وَانْدَثَـر
فَوَيْلٌ لِمَنْ لَمْ تَشُقْـهُ الْحَيَاةُ = مِنْ صَفْعَـةِ العَـدَم المُنْتَصِر

He who harbors no passion for life
Its heat dematerializes him, he is forgotten
Woe unto him who looses interest in life
Victorious void will deal him a slap

كَذلِكَ قَالَـتْ لِـيَ الكَائِنَاتُ = وَحَدّثَنـي رُوحُـهَا المُسْتَتِر
وَدَمدَمَتِ الرِّيحُ بَيْنَ الفِجَاجِ = وَفَوْقَ الجِبَال وَتَحْتَ الشَّجَر

Thus has the universe told me
Thus has its hidden Spirit intimated
The winds howled in the deep ravines
Above mountain peaks, under the trees

إذَا مَا طَمَحْـتُ إلِـى غَـايَةٍ = رَكِبْتُ الْمُنَى وَنَسِيتُ الحَذَر
وَلَمْ أَتَجَنَّبْ وُعُـورَ الشِّعَـابِ = وَلا كُبَّـةَ اللَّهَـبِ المُسْتَعِـر

When I aspire to lofty goals
I mount high hopes and discard trepidation
Neither avoiding rugged roads
Nor evading the roaring flames

Poem and translation are copied from Source: http://www.wata.cc/forums/showthread.php?t=82912

Here is a link to a video with the song and images of the Egyptian revolution of 25th  of January.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_sBF8XK_DI&feature=related