I tried to explain to my late mother that she had to be expelled from Zarnouqa in 1948, leave her memories and house behind because a crazy bigot had committed a pogrom against Jews in Europe, but she neither wanted to understand (“what does that have to do with us?”) nor accept (why didn’t the Europeans give them a homeland?” until she passed away in a refugee camp, 90 km south of her village.

This song is dedicated to all Palestinian mothers who had to endure the unendurable in 1948.

Land of Sad Lemons

lyrics: AbdulRahim Mansour

How many seasons and years have gone by,

Lemon trees have withered,

Where are you?!

Without you, I am neither sane, nor insane!

I am WORN OUT!

– Dr. Haidar Eid contributed this song to PalestineChronicle.com.