First movement
Fear calls out in Beirut, in a dark scary night; Beirut prepares itself for a long battle in an unknown war, and people of Beirut begin to make their way to underground bunkers. Men of war start dividing their beautiful city into small battle fields.
Beirut once, was the jewel of the Mediterranean, full of life, history, culture and love, now is captured by darkness and uncertainty.
Second movement
Small pause in the sound of bombings, a man walk out of his bunker, looks at the streets, sad, tears in his eyes with reminiscence of Beirut, nostalgic of how life was few weeks before, when the smell of orange blossoms and sea air occupied the atmosphere, when the sound of men pushing their vegetable and fruit wooden trolleys shouting to sell their goods, when the night was a s busy as the day, but now……the smell of gunpowder and death occupies the places, destruction in every corner…..
Heavy artillery shelling, Beirut is heavily bombarded, the man runs back underground.
Third movement
Winter comes, rain falls washing the destroyed houses and buildings, making the streets muddy, fighting slows down gradually, men fighting look up towards the mountains that are covered with snow, these peaceful mountains, that once inspired poets and made saints, these mountains that embrace cedars “the trees of the lord” as quoted in the old testament. Men now are unconvinced of the purpose of their war.
Fourth movement
Beirut that has been buried seven times, has seven cities and civilizations underneath it, smiles, knowing that it is hard to be beautiful, that beauty always attracts evil to try to destroy it but also know that goodness always wins.
— Elie Barrak