The Butterfly's Burden
Product ID: 2746027
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Mahmoud Darwish is the Essential Breath of the Palestinian people, the eloquent witness of exile and belonging, exquisitely tuned singer of images that invoke, link, and shine a brilliant light into the world's whole heart. What he speaks has been embraced by readers around the worldhis in an utterly necessary voice, unforgettable once discovered."Naomi Shihab Nye Mahmoud Darwish is the leading poet in the Arab world, an artist and activist who attracts thousands to his public readings. The Butterfly's Burden combines the complete text of Darwish's two most recent full-length volumes, linked by the stunning memoir-witness poem A State of Siege." Love poems, sonnets, journal-like distillations, and interlaced lyrics balance old literary traditions with new forms, highlighting loving reflections alongside bitter longing. From Sonnet [V] I touch you as a lonely violin touches the suburbs of the faraway place. Patiently the river asks for its share of the drizzle. And, bit by bit, a tomorrow passing in poems approaches so I carry faraway's land and it carries me on the road. Mahmoud Darwish is the author of 30 books of poetry and prose, as well as the Palestinian Declaration of Independence. He has worked as a journalist, was director of the Palestinian Research Center, and lived in exile until his return to Palestine in 1996. He has received many international awards for his poetry. Translator Fady Joudah is a physician based in Houston, Texas. His first book of poems received the Yale Younger Poets prize. Review: Great - This works great. I was able to get rid 99% of gnats Review: The butterfly is free - Dear Mahmoud, I’m just an average American white guy, but I want to tell you that even though you’re gone, even though this comment is not about what’s going on in your homeland, I think your symbolism has a perennial significance. Under siege. I feel as human beings, we are all Under siege in our lives, life itself is a siege as is survival in it,. For a while, I had that line from one of your , if not your, greatest poem. “Nothing pleases me.” I had that line above my desk, “I’m always besieging a ghost that is besieging me. “ Is this siege a ghost? Is this life an illusion? The older I get, and I’m approaching 70, it seems that perhaps it is. Have we been chasing phantoms the whole time? In any case brother, I send you greetings from 2025 southeastern USA. So many beautiful images and emotions you have left us with….
| Best Sellers Rank | #77,699 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #4 in African Poetry (Books) #32 in Middle Eastern Poetry (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.8 out of 5 stars 309 Reviews |
X**T
Great
This works great. I was able to get rid 99% of gnats
S**T
The butterfly is free
Dear Mahmoud, I’m just an average American white guy, but I want to tell you that even though you’re gone, even though this comment is not about what’s going on in your homeland, I think your symbolism has a perennial significance. Under siege. I feel as human beings, we are all Under siege in our lives, life itself is a siege as is survival in it,. For a while, I had that line from one of your , if not your, greatest poem. “Nothing pleases me.” I had that line above my desk, “I’m always besieging a ghost that is besieging me. “ Is this siege a ghost? Is this life an illusion? The older I get, and I’m approaching 70, it seems that perhaps it is. Have we been chasing phantoms the whole time? In any case brother, I send you greetings from 2025 southeastern USA. So many beautiful images and emotions you have left us with….
K**R
Very good
Thank you arrived in perfect time and shape
S**M
Book
Very pretty book. Nice condition when it came. Love English translation in it.
G**Y
Great book, but small font
Great. I just wish the font wasn’t super small. I speak Arabic fluently so I’m much more likely to read the Arabic version, but I find that I have to have the book very close to my face in order to know what I’m reading and even then it’s still a bit difficult. There’s sooo much space for it to have been used. That is my only problem though!
T**R
Poetry Makes Reality Feel Magical
The Butterfly's Burden by Mahmoud Darwish (translated by Fady Joudah) is a beautiful book of poetry that covers a wide variety of topics. I loved having the original Arabic poems and the English translations side-by-side. I was so amazed by the different lengths of some of the lines that I asked my husband to spot check a few of the translations. He said they were pretty accurate. Darwish has a way of writing about everyday occurrences in ways that make them feel magical and the magical in ways that make them feel accessible. The Butterfly's Burden expounds on the impact of humans on other humans as well as the world we inhabit with its honest reflections on how human beings move through the world for better or worse.
K**D
Nice quality
Got this book as a gift and they loved it .. nice quality book
R**N
Amazing
Went through a breakup with this book
M**D
Must Buy
Just. Beautiful
T**A
a lovely collection
often seen his poetry online was glad to get my hands on a book. great!
I**L
Hermoso, fuerte y poderoso
Es un libro muy bonito en apariencia de bien tamaño y reúne gran poesía del autor.
A**R
Great poetry collection.
Mahmoud darwish poetry collection is a treat. And edition is also looking nice.
L**A
Interesting poem bundel
I really enjoyed reading the poems. The arabic (original) poem is also beside the english transition which was also really pleasant for me.
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