A palm tree stands in the middle of Rusafa,
Born in the west, far from the land of palms.
I said to it: How like me you are, far away and in exile,
In long separation from family and friends.
You have sprung from soil in which you are a stranger;
And I, like you, am far from home.
May dawn’s clouds water you, streaming from the heavens in grateful downpour.
Emir al-Rahman I
Exiled ruler of Syria and founder of a Muslim dynasty in Cordoba, southern Spain. C. 780 A.D
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