For decades, music has remained one of the core tools of Palestinian resistance, carrying the meanings of resilience and struggle. Melodies and lyrics that challenge oppression and الاحتلال, while holding on to a message of hope and determination. In a remarkable artistic performance titled “Guardians of the Earth”, organized by the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music at the Ramallah Cultural Palace, artists revived that spirit by performing some of the most iconic songs of Palestinian resistance, alongside new works that speak directly to the current phase of the Palestinian struggle.
Let us dive into the details of these songs, which stirred the emotions of the audience and connected past and present, the dreams of freedom and the reality of conflict.
1. “Artel Hatha Al Nasheed” | Lyrics by prisoner Kamil Abu Hanish
The performance opened with “Artel Hatha Al Nasheed”, written by prisoner Kamil Abu Hanish inside Ramon Desert Prison, and composed by artist Mahmoud Awad especially for the show. The song came with a powerful military rhythm that reflected both anger and hope.
The song revolves around transforming pain into revolutionary energy:
“We resist this siege with a dream
And arrange this beautiful ruin
So the chains that once restrained me become roses
And my strength grows, little by little.”
The song carried a message of steadfastness, portraying the Palestinian who resists siege through songs and dreams, turning painful reality into hope for freedom.
2. “Nasheed Al Ard” | Nai Barghouti
On the 75th anniversary of the Nakba, Palestinian artist Nai Barghouti dedicated her song “Nasheed Al Ard” to the spirit of the martyred journalist Shireen Abu Akleh. The lyrics were written by poet Aws Shaheen, with composition by Nai Barghouti herself.
The song’s energy and rising military melody captivated the audience, especially through its moving lines:
“My people, resist, do not despair
Lay siege to your chains and pain
My land is a sun that does not depart
My land is the ruby of days.”
The song was accompanied by visual projections showing scenes of destroyed homes in Gaza, while foregrounding the Palestinian spirit standing defiantly against occupation.
3. “Kebro Al Sighar” | Fouad Awad Ensemble
One of the enduring songs associated with the First Palestinian Intifada in 1987, “Kebro Al Sighar” came with lyrics by Mohamed Al Amin and music by Fouad Awad.
The song recalls the image of children who grew up confronting occupation and refusing defeat:
“I faced falsehood and its bullets with the bleeding of my wounds
My mother’s ululation woke me while I was still half-asleep
My soul finds no rest except in the soil of my homeland.”
4. “Ya Zahret Al Niran” | Al Asheqeen
“Ya Zahret Al Niran” was one of the most powerful songs to summon the spirit of resistance in the Galilee in northern Palestine, where confrontation with the occupation returns in every era.
The song carries the Palestinian refusals that never change:
“We said no to lowering the rifles
No to the slaughter of the land
No to those who fold the banners away.”
5. “Ana Ya Akhi (Qasam Al Thuwar)” | Sawt Al Arab Choir
With lyrics by Saeed Al Muzayin and composition by Taha Al Ajil, “Ana Ya Akhi” became a lasting anthem of resistance since 1968. It was performed by the Sawt Al Arab Choir, carrying the message of generations passing the banner from one to the next:
“My brother, I believed in the lost and shackled people
So I carried my rifle, that the generations after us may carry the sickle
Our blood is a debt upon you, and a debt of justice cannot be delayed.”
6. “Saif Fal Yushhar” | Fairuz
“Now, now, not tomorrow,” sang Fairuz in “Saif Fal Yushhar” as early as 1967. It was recently rearranged by Youssef Bara, remaining a symbol of steadfastness and return to Jerusalem:
“I do not forget you, Palestine, though distance pulls at me
In your shade I am narcissus
I am the thorn’s flower, I am the rose.”
7. “Ya Nabd Al Daffa” | Ahmad Kaabour
An iconic song written by Hassan Zahir, composed and performed by Lebanese artist Ahmad Kaabour, it tells the story of the martyred young woman Lina Al Nabulsi.
Its lyrics express the Palestinian uprising against occupation:
“Pulse of the West Bank, do not grow quiet, declare it a revolution
Break your chains, make your flesh the bridge of return.”
8. “Nasheed Al Intifada” | Baladna Ensemble
One of the songs of the First Intifada, “Nasheed Al Intifada” was written by Ibrahim Nasrallah and composed by Kamal Khalil, and later performed by Marcel Khalife. The song is the dream of liberation that remains alive in every Palestinian memory:
“For a new dawn, we offer our hunger and sacrifice
We dreamed to be, and vowed to protect
Our right to our land.”
9. “Ya Thowar Al Ard” | Julia Boutros
Julia Boutros’ song from the 1980s was, and remains, a revolutionary Palestinian anthem, carried by her powerful voice and melodies by her brother Ziad. It inspires listeners through its direct message:
“O revolutionaries of the earth, rise against tyranny
The wind of revolution tears down, tears down the idols.”
10. “Ya Shaabana” | Guardians of the Earth
The performance closed with “Ya Shaabana”, with lyrics by Tareq Asrawi and music by Abada Darwish and Jihad Al Shuaibi. The song served as a tribute to the Palestinian people and their steadfastness:
“Our people, our glory
Blessed are you, and blessed is your patience.”
The song carried the message that occupation may demolish buildings, churches, and schools, but it will never break the spirit of resistance.
