"Darwish’s lyrical writings have long been a touchstone of Palestinian national passions… [he] has written poems that range from dreamy reflections and love to bitter longing for the Palestine that was lost when Israel was created in 1948. He writes of pain and exile."—The New York Times
"Darwish is the essential breath of the Palestine people, the eloquent witness of exile and belonging… What he speaks has been embraced by readers around the world—his is an utterly necessary voice, unforgettable once discovered. If you know his words already, you need to know this comprehensive new translation. If you do not know him yet, please celebrate this crucial meeting."—Naomi Shahib Nye, author of The Space Between our Footsteps: Poems and Paintings from the Middle East
"Mahmoud Darwish is indisputably among the greatest of our century’s poets. Gifted with the lyric intensity of Lorca, the epic breadth of Neruda, and the elegiac poignancy of Mandelstam, he has endured the vicissitudes of politics and fate to perform a meticulous and spiritual excavation of land and language, diaspora and exile, while lighting new fires in the possibilities for poetic art."—Carol Forché, poet, writer, and activist
About the Author
Mahmoud Darwish has published more than thirty books of poetry and prose. He is the recipient of many international literary awards and his work has been translated into more than twenty-two languages.
Munir Akash is the editor and founder of Jusoor Books and the author of Questions of Poetry.
November 2000