poem

If I Must Die in Many Languages and Voices

Community project by David Heathfield, full playlist on YouTube:

Poet, storyteller and teacher Refaat Alareer was killed along with close family in an airstrike on 6 December 2023. Already the invitation to recite his extraordinary poem If I Must Die in diverse languages and voices has made this growing playlist a testament to the power of the spoken word in calling for change. His Voice Shall Always Remain. 

If I Must Die – Dr Refaat Alareer

If I must die,

you must live

to tell my story

to sell my things

to buy a piece of cloth

and some strings,

(make it white with a long tail)

so that a child, somewhere in Gaza

while looking heaven in the eye

awaiting his dad who left in a blaze –

and bid no one farewell

not even to his flesh

not even to himself –

sees the kite, my kite you made, flying up

above

and thinks for a moment an angel is there

bringing back love

If I must die

let it bring hope

let it be a tale.

You might translate the poem yourself or you can find translations of the poem into many languages online. Of course you might choose to recite the poem in English, the language in which he wrote this beautiful and prescient poem. We send our appreciation and our condolences to his family. Let it be a tale!

+ Read more…