"Mahmoud Darwish is the Essential Breath of the Palestinian people, the eloquent witness of exile and belonging, exquisitely tuned singer of ima... read full description
reviews
Jul 02, 2011
metaphor
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I have waited for this book like a nomad in the desert longs for a night to set off for his journey, like the sea aches for its returning wave, like a poet who wants the reader to embrace his poem. Now I have it in front of me "The Butterfly's Burden", a journey of, and through, voice.There is an "I" that overflows from "you", a dialogue between masculine and feminine, prose and poetry. There is a question how to carry the "I" of the "we" without
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Mar 26, 2009
M.B.
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I loved a lot of things about this book. It's Darwish's last three collections put together, which makes for interesting juxtapositions (the love lyrics of 'The Stranger's Bed' side by side with 'A State of Siege', written in Ramallah in earshot of Israeli tanks). What I love about Darwish is that his political poems are never political in an antsy didactic way, though they easily could be - instead, there's a real suffusion of political and poetic sensibility, so that poetry becomes a mode of k
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Dec 15, 2008
Harry
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The Butterfly’s Burden is a translation of three books by the Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish who died earlier this year: The Stranger’s Bed (1998), A State of Siege (2002) and Don’t Apologise for What You’ve Done (2003). It’s a parallel text edition, which always makes me feel terribly learned, but in practice is just a waste of trees since I can’t even read Arabic script.
I am writing this post without having read the whole thing, which may be an admission of defeat. I’ve been havi More...
I am writing this post without having read the whole thing, which may be an admission of defeat. I’ve been havi More...
Nov 24, 2010
Shama
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Darwish's poems have this rare gift to be universally relevant and yet evocative of a particular place and culture. Beautiful, poignant, at turns humorous and sometimes tragic, full of the spirit and sadness of the Middle Eastern (particularly Palestinian) experience. His poems are the kind that you carry with you for the rest of your life.
Jun 10, 2009
Steven
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If you like poetry but have never read Darwish, then you're in for the rarest but greatest reading experience: getting hold of something so fabulous that it renews your love of reading all over again.
May 10, 2010
Diane
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I had to work at this book but it's worth the effort. For me: some real treasures in here, plus a lot to learn, plus some poems I never did "get," - probably to do with cultural differences and historical ignorance on my part. Very like visiting another country.
Oct 10, 2011
Mimi
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I am still reading this book, but like much poetry, I have to reread over and over. Darwish is quite different from the poets I'm usually drawn to, like Kay Ryan who love language and are witty. One is never sure of poetry in translation, but this seems to be very well done. I like best the more political poems than the love poems in the first half of the book. They are all worth rereading though.
Nov 03, 2008
Rick
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Darwish died not long ago and it was through obits that I discovered how important he has become to Palestinian culture. I found some of the poems outstanding and others too florid and overblown, but I wonder how much that has to do with the translation. Another insight into the rich culture of Palestine.
Dec 30, 2008
Laura
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how tragic his death, waiting for a Visa for surgery in the states ... the accompaning arabic is exceedingly beautiful & a script i now want to learn . the 'others' the lovers the muses, they are all here in this song of exile and Palestine and longing .
Mar 04, 2009
Frederic
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Darwish has been around for a long time, and like Blues Men & seasoned NBA players he keeps getting better & better
Mar 27, 2008
Robert
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Darwish is the greatest poet Palestine has produced in modern times. This is a wonderful new collection.
Aug 05, 2007
Matthew
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These are some of the finest Darwish translations available in English.
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