A Round on the Ownership of the World
(after Frère Jacques)
“How can a god give what a god does not have?
– and what has god ever possessed, that was not first possessed by man?”
I. The Promise (Israelites, c. 1200 BCE)
Frère Jacques,
Frère Jacques,
Dormez-vous?
Dormez-vous?
God has given us this land,
God has given us this land,
Canaan blooms,
Canaan blooms.
II. The Conqueror’s Lullaby (Assyrians & Medes, c. 722–612 BCE)
Frère Jacques,
Frère Jacques,
Dormez-vous?
Dormez-vous?
God has given us this land –
God has given us this land –
yours is gone,
yours is gone.
III. Cyrus Dreams of Tolerance (Persians, 539 BCE)
Frère Jacques,
Frère Jacques,
Dormez-vous?
Dormez-vous?
Cyrus opens every gate,
Cyrus opens every gate –
benign great,
benign great.
IV. Hellas Has No Borders (Greeks, 332 BCE)
Frère Jacques,
Frère Jacques,
Dormez-vous?
Dormez-vous?
Alexander names it his,
Alexander names it his –
god is Zeus,
god is Zeus.
V. Pax Romana (Romans, 63 BCE – 636 CE)
Frère Jacques,
Frère Jacques,
Dormez-vous?
Dormez-vous?
Rome calls it Palestina,
Rome calls it Palestina –
Caesar’s own,
Caesar’s own.
VI. The Crescent Rises (Arab Caliphate, 636 CE)
Frère Jacques,
Frère Jacques,
Dormez-vous?
Dormez-vous?
Allah wills this holy ground,
Allah wills this holy ground –
new faith found,
new faith found.
VII. Deus Vult (Crusaders, 1099 CE)
Frère Jacques,
Frère Jacques,
Dormez-vous?
Dormez-vous?
Christ demands his city back,
Christ demands his city back –
faith on track,
faith on track.
VIII. The Sultan’s Silence (Ottomans, 1517–1917)
Frère Jacques,
Frère Jacques,
Dormez-vous?
Dormez-vous?
Four centuries the Porte holds sway,
Four centuries the Porte holds sway –
firman day,
firman day.
IX. The Balfour Lullaby (Zionism, 1917–1948)
Frère Jacques,
Frère Jacques,
Dormez-vous?
Dormez-vous?
Britain signs a letter’s dream,
Britain signs a letter’s dream –
not what it seems,
not what it seems.
Refrain: The Question That Echoes Through Every Century
Sonnez les matines!
Sonnez les matines!
Din, din, don –
Din, din, don.
How can a god give what a god does not own?
How can a god give what a god does not own?
Din, din, don –
Din, din, don.
How can a god give what does not exist?
How can a god give what does not exist?
Din, din, don –
the bells persist.
Coda: The Land Itself
Frère Jacques,
Frère Jacques,
Dormez-vous?
Dormez-vous?
The olive tree was here before the word,
The olive tree was here before the word.
It has heard every god,
every lord,
every sword.
Frère Jacques –
still sleeping?
Still sleeping.
Din, din, don.
Din, din, don.
by Bakchos
This poem is a work of art. It is not political analysis, advocacy, or social commentary.
It is a round – meant to be sung simultaneously, in every voice, by every claimant, until the only sound left is the bell, and the olive tree, and the silence after.
