Finding hope within the olive branches

Nizar Qabbani’s “City of Olive Branches” beings with a very somber tone but I do not think that desperation is the theme of the poem, as easy as a theme it may be to pull. The first four stanzas of the poem are fraught, as the poet describes weeping, as well as praying “until every candle had melted”. He goes on to describe his longing for the help of the divine, but describes both Islamic and Christian holy figures, both Muhammad and Jesus. This portion of the poem conceals the authors religious state from the reader, as it’s unclear who the poet is praying to, if either of them at all. Furthermore, the mention of praying until every candle had melted could be a reference Jewish Shabbat candles, muddling the author’s stance even more.

As the poem progresses, Jerusalem is referred to as “the city of sorrow”, despite being called the “swiftest path between heaven and earth” a few stanzas earlier. I think this portion of the poem is trying to convey to the reader or listener that despite being such a holy place, over the centuries it’s experienced a momentous amount of pain and upheaval, expressed more concisely in the line “who can prevent atrocities at your holy gates?”.

It’s after this that the poem takes a sudden turn, expressing a hopeful and optimistic tone to the audience, with promises of a brighter, more prosperous, and more unified future. One without violence, pain, or loneliness, expressed with sentiments of flowering fruits and vegetables, orange blossoms, laughter, family, reunions, and children playing. The poem ends by referring to Jerusalem as the “City of Peace” and the “City of Olive Branches”. Olive branches, aside from the obvious symbolism of peace, is an interesting analogy, as the metaphor of extending an olive branch has biblical origins, perhaps a clue to the authors possible Christian background.

Whatever the faith of the author, it’s not important in regard to the poem’s meaning, which I interpret to be the hope for peace within the city one day. The author refers to the city as a place in which terrible things have occurred, but also as a place in which peace (metamorphosed by olive branches) can, and will, grow.  By acknowledging Jerusalem’s past, the author is able to highlight the need, will, desire for peace within the city, something he knows will someday befall the city of Jerusalem—the city of peace.

(Image of hope within the olive branches used to convey the metaphorical hope that Jerusalem, City of Olive Branches, yearns to find.)