A love song to Australia is one of Charbel Baini's books translated by Paul Abdul Ahad

FIRE 1994

Your forest turned into a dragon

Flames tongues is his tongue

And we're running scared

Of his treachery and his smoke

Hell, we said

But who will wipe the oppression

?And its devil

Your men showed up

And the evergreen cypress trunks were crazy

Their shoulders

Beside the beautiful ladies' shoulders

They left their families

Choosing not to leave you

Or betray your land's heaven

The orchards,

The hencoop that is cuddling its chicks

Their fire brigades are full of pride

Integrity is the symbol

Their hose is knife like

Cutting the flame with its flood

We thought they were saints

Saint George on his horse

Butting the fire out..

The second seemed years

Protecting the house

And its residents

Sydney

Oh  garden of jonquil

Planted in the Pacific

Your people survived by their faith

**