Poetry from 'the voice of Palestinian people', poet Mahmoud Darwish
Newly translated from Arabic by Mohammad Shaheen, Almond Blossoms & Beyond is one of Darwish's final poetry collections. Writing in the twilight of his life, Darwish composes brief lyric poems, encompassing the themes of uprootedness, exile, love, life and death and weaving the fragility and beauty of life into every line.
'A carefully, almost symetrically structured collection. A complex counterpoint between the personal and political. These shifts are rapid but graceful - a grace that is well captured by Shaheen's translation.' Electronic Intifada
'Darwish writes in a clear, simple, and yet elusive language charged with sharp visual images and vibrant musical beats.' Library Journal
'I'm the result of a mixture of civilisations in Palestine's past. I didn't see Jews as devils or angels, but as human beings. I always humanise the other. I will continue to humanise the enemy. Poems take the side of love not war.' Mahmoud Darwish (1941-2008)
