On Monday, US Civil Administrator Paul Bremer handed over "sovereignty" to the Interim Government of Iraq in a furtive ceremony, two days ahead of schedule. Not the stuff that independence days are made of. How sovereign is Iraq; what kind of future does the ongoing process offer for that shattered nation; and most significantly, how can a genuinely free, democratic and prosperous Iraq be created? Al-Ahram Weekly, in these special pages, invited Iraqi journalists and intellectuals to provide some answers

Shurfat Al-Manzil Al-Faqir (Window of the Poor House)

By Saadi Youssef

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Night in Baghdad descends quickly, night in Baghdad lasts long. For centuries/

Night in Baghdad has descended quickly and lasted long. The ironmongers will say we are sick/

Of our living, we make swords, and our craft is weakness. The carpenters say/

We are sick of our living, we make coffins. The shoemakers say we are sick of our living,/

We make shoes for the army. The poets say we are sick of our living, we make/

Face paints. The hospital doctors say we, we are sick of our living, our craft/

Is the chopping off of ears or (as in Al-Hajjaj's time) noses. And Al-Hallaj says:/

Is it possible everyone has become Al-Hallaj?

*Saadi Youssef is a prominent Iraqi poet.

*Al-Hajjaj Ben Yousef Al-Thiqafi is one of the early rulers of Iraq during the time of the Ummayade. He was known for his ruthlessness and brutal use of force.

*Al-Hallaj was a legendary Iranian Sufi who lived between 858-922AD. He was known for his defence of the poor and the destitute. He was persecuted for his views, found guilty of heresy and sentenced to brutal death.

Translated by Nur El-Misseiri