Frank Carlson Library

Abdulwahhāb Al—Bayyāti was one of the triumvirate of poets who dominated modern Iraqi and Arabic poetry of the mid-1950s. Following the pioneer female poet Nazik Al-Mala'ika, he moved away from the tail-end of the romantic period of Arabic poetry, with its reliance on classical verse style. These modern poets introduced new subjects, both social and political, employing a more psychological approach. They used direct language, free from the traditional...

War / Torn, is a brazen and lyrical interrogation of religion and masculinity-the performance and sense of belonging they delineate and draw together. Namir summons prayer, violence, and the sensuality of love, revisiting tenets of Islam and dictates of war to break the barriers between the profane and the sacred.

First book-length collection of the work of the celebrated Israeli poet. Reality Crumbs is the first book-length collection in English of the work of the celebrated Israeli poet, playwright, and filmmaker Raquel Chalfi. Versatile and unpredictable, Chalfi's often visionary and dramatic poetry has been acclaimed for its independence and daring by leading Israeli critics. In the words of poet and critic Eli Hirsch, her work is a "thrilling combination...

Poetry is the greatest literary form of ancient Persia and modern Iran, and the 14th-century poet known as Hafiz is its preeminent master. This collection is derived from Hafiz's Divan (collected poems), a classic of Sufism. The short poems, called ghazals, are sonnet-like arrangements of varied numbers of couplets. In the tradition of Persian poetry and Sufi philosophy, each poem corresponds to two interpretations, sensual and mystic. This 19th-century...

In his desire to start a new life, a young Middle Eastern man alters his identity by legally changing his name and moving away. His past is horrifically tied to a contract killing, history that must be left behind with shame and sorrow. He begins his journey in the hope for a better existence, but at times he reflects on what life could have been like had things turn out differently. Countless lies, deceitful desires, a failed arranged marriage and...

A stunning new translation of Mahmoud Darwish's intertwining poetic narrative, presenting a profound portrait of the Palestinian people, the human condition, and Darwish's own hopes and dreamsSince Mahmoud Darwish's death, his poetic writings continue to be read by an audience in awe. This is a collection of autobiographical poetry designed to give an insight into the wider human condition. Darwish explores the meaning of life, identity, and the...

An anthology of poems dedicated to the people of Palestine and their long struggle for freedom"Poems for Palestine" was launched as a project aiming to collect together verse written by the people of Palestine, as a website open to all comers, all free to upload their work. The broad spectrum of the resulting talent displays a multitude of different poetic styles, subject matters, and emotions. The role of art, and poetry...

Paul Celan escribió: "Asequible, próxima y sin perderse entre las pérdidas, solamente una cosa perdura: la lengua". Desde los inicios de su obra poética, en el seno de una familia campesina en su Siria natal, hasta convertirse en uno de los poetas árabes más interesantes y originales del panorama actual, Ahmad Saïd Esber —más conocido por su pseudónimo Adonis- no se ha permitido perder su lengua. A pesar de los exilios y las guerras, continúa...

With a foreword by National Book Award-winning author William T. Vollmann Dictionary of Midnight collects almost 50 years of poetry by Abdulla Pashew, the most influential Kurdish poet alive today. Pashew's poems chart a personal cartography of exile, recounting the recent political history of Kurdistan and its struggle for independence. Poet-translator Alana Marie Levinson-LaBrosse worked with the poet to select and translate his most iconic poems,...

Discover How Hafiz's Spiritual Life and Vision Can Enlighten Your Own Hafiz is known throughout the world as Persia's greatest poet, with sales of his poems in Iran today only surpassed by those of the Qur'an itself. His probing and joyful verse speaks to people from all backgrounds who long to taste and feel divine love and experience harmony with all living things. This beautiful sampling of Hafiz's works captures his deep spiritual understanding,...