Baghdad Festival Chosen as Capital of Arab Media
Baghdad, you are the letter and the pen
Have mercy on us...
How did pain overwhelm you?
All the dark wars have vanished
Had you not returned,
Nations would have perished
Here you are, returned today, majestic
May the horrors and the flames cease
O Pearl of the Two Rivers,
Is there any homeland but yours
Whose name is feared by nothingness?
The light of journalism is from our artistry,
And poetry, literature, and wisdom,
And music without strings,
And the voice would not yearn for melody.
Our history remains our reference,
From it we have enriched ourselves,
And antiquity has enriched us.
We are free Iraq in a land
Where deeds and words elevate us.
Every hand is generous,
Like dew, blessings frequent it.
This is me with an elite that has grown,
We came, perhaps the smile will return.
We, the bewildered, are still sick,
With a glance, the sickness may end.
Who like us has sung of you on a journey?
From our poetry, the idol may speak.
By God, O Baghdad, you are with me,
When I met you, weariness left me.
Do not grieve, relief will come to you,
Much good, said the rain.
Baghdad for the media! Rejoice!
From us to us, values have returned.
You are culture, O our city!
Rise up, so that knowledge may soar above you!
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