world literature and literary criticism - Lynne Rienner Publishers

Arabian Love Poems
Nizar Kabbani,
translated by Bassam K. Frangieh and Clementina R. Brown,
with an introduction by Bassam K. Frangieh
“Bassam Frangieh and Clementina Brown have done us all a great service
by collaborating to create this bilingual volume.... The Arabic is a
reproduction of the poet’s own handwritten text of the selected poems,
indicating the collaboration of the poet in the project as well.... an excellent
introductory volume to the work of this icon of modern Arabic poetry
for students and aficionados of Arabic and world poetry.”
—CLARISSA BURT, JOURNAL OF ARABIC STUDIES
“This superbly presented edition ... will well serve to introduce an American
readership to one of the finest 20th Century poets of the Middle
East.” —MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW
“This translation in English is much needed.... Arabian Love Poems
succeeds in rendering into English the beautiful poetical verse of
Qabbani.” —AMIRA EL-ZEIN, MESA BULLETIN
Nizar Kabbani’s poetry has been described as “more powerful
than all the Arab regimes put together” (Lebanese Daily Star).
Reflecting on his recent death, Sulhi Al-Wadi wrote (in Tishreen),
“Qabbani is like water, bread, and the sun in every Arab heart and
house. In his poetry the harmony of the heart, and in his blood the
melody of love.” Arabian Love Poems is the first English-language
collection of his work.
Frangieh and Brown’s elegant translations are accompanied by
the Arabic texts of the poems, penned by Kabbani especially for
this collection.
Nizar Kabbani was born in Syria in 1923, to a traditional, wellto-do
family. He served in Syria’s diplomatic corp for more than 20
years (1945–1966), but settled in London for political reasons. He
died on April 30, 1998; at his request, he was buried in Damascus.
1999/225 pages LC: 98-42796
ISBN: 0-89410-881-6 pb £12.95 / $16.95
See pages 33–36 for other
outstanding titles on the
Middle East and North Africa.
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