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Chronicles of Majnun Layla and Selected Poems
Chronicles of Majnun Layla and Selected Poems brings together in one volume Haddad’s seminal work and a considerable selection of poems from his oeuvre, stretching over forty years. The central poem, Chronicles of Majnun Layla, recasts the seventh-century myth into a contemporary, postmodern narrative that revels in the foibles of oral transmission, weaving a small side cast of characters into the fabric of the poem. Haddad portrays Layla as a daring woman aware of her own needs and desires and not afraid to articulate them. The author succeeds in reviving this classical work of Arabian love while liberating it from its puritanical dimension and tribal overtones.
The selected poems reveal Haddad’s playful yet profound meditations. A powerful lyric poet, Haddad juxtaposes classical and modern symbols, and mixes the old with the new, the sensual with the sacred, and the common with the extraordinary. Ghazoul and Verlenden’s masterful translation remains faithful to the cultural and historical context in which the original poetry was produced while also reflecting the uniqueness of the poet’s style and his poetics.
The selected poems reveal Haddad’s playful yet profound meditations. A powerful lyric poet, Haddad juxtaposes classical and modern symbols, and mixes the old with the new, the sensual with the sacred, and the common with the extraordinary. Ghazoul and Verlenden’s masterful translation remains faithful to the cultural and historical context in which the original poetry was produced while also reflecting the uniqueness of the poet’s style and his poetics.
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2014
3 people are currently reading
144 people want to read
About the author
Qassim Haddad
3 books5 followersBahraini poet. Born in Bahrain, he did not finish his secondary education and is largely self-educated. He rose to fame both as a poet and as a revolutionary, writing much verse on political subjects dealing with freedom and progress. At present, he is the head of the Union of Bahraini writers. The most famous poet of Bahrain, he has published 15 collections of poetry,
Good Omen , Beirut , 1970
Exodus of Hussain's Head from the Traitorous Cities, Beirut 1972
The Second Blood , Beirut , 1975
The Heart of Love , Bahrain , 1980
Resurrection , Beirut , 1982
Relating , Beirut , 1982
Splinters , Beirut , 1983
Walking Guarded with Ibexes , Bahrain , 1986
AL - NNAHRAWAN
Solitude of the Queens
Qassim's Grave , Bahrain , 1997
The Breasts (with Amin Salih
The Story of Majnoon Layla
He also wrote and published some prose books such :
Critique of hope , Beirut
Not by this Way nor by the other, 1997
Theatre in Bahrain , Experience and Horizon , Bahrain , 1980.
************
He is a founding member of "Bahrain Writers Association" established in
1969
A member of "Awal Theatre" in Bahrain
A member of the editorial committee of the literary periodical
"KALEMAT" issued by Bahrain Writers Association".
Contributes in writing critical Essays and studies in Arabic
Newspapers and periodicals.
Many of his poems had been translated into English, French, and
German language
Participated in many Arabic and International Symposiums, Conferences
and forums on poetry and writing.
He have personal home page in entrant
Good Omen , Beirut , 1970
Exodus of Hussain's Head from the Traitorous Cities, Beirut 1972
The Second Blood , Beirut , 1975
The Heart of Love , Bahrain , 1980
Resurrection , Beirut , 1982
Relating , Beirut , 1982
Splinters , Beirut , 1983
Walking Guarded with Ibexes , Bahrain , 1986
AL - NNAHRAWAN
Solitude of the Queens
Qassim's Grave , Bahrain , 1997
The Breasts (with Amin Salih
The Story of Majnoon Layla
He also wrote and published some prose books such :
Critique of hope , Beirut
Not by this Way nor by the other, 1997
Theatre in Bahrain , Experience and Horizon , Bahrain , 1980.
************
He is a founding member of "Bahrain Writers Association" established in
1969
A member of "Awal Theatre" in Bahrain
A member of the editorial committee of the literary periodical
"KALEMAT" issued by Bahrain Writers Association".
Contributes in writing critical Essays and studies in Arabic
Newspapers and periodicals.
Many of his poems had been translated into English, French, and
German language
Participated in many Arabic and International Symposiums, Conferences
and forums on poetry and writing.
He have personal home page in entrant
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
October 19, 2019
I am coming—coming to you—you who are not in doubt and I
who am not unaware. The road and its icy hardships, this silence
and its single inferno, have tormented me. I have suffered from
too much wilderness, too much desert. Your expectations of me
are unfulfilled. Your messages to me remain unanswered. For I
am coming: there is no escape, no salvation from what we chose,
except to recall that we did choose it. I am coming so grant me
time without limit, be excessive with your affection, afflict us
both with pleasure; as for others, let them choose their own afflictions.
Let me have all the downy feathers of your shoulder. I will
lay my head there and weep out all the weeping until my liver
combusts, shooting out flames, fervors, vapors of longing. Attend
to all the forged, erroneous accounts—attend but don’t believe.
Defeated knights with their armies of assertions lay heaped upon
your shoulder claiming their absurd victory. But you: mind your
delicate shoulder and its downy softness. Listen for the howling
of the wolf, be sensitive to the lament of the heavy heart. You owe
me a debt, which I shall pay instead of you; and I owe you a debt,
which you will pay to me. Both of us are now in an enchanted
world. What we’ve become, we can’t escape.
*
Quivering, this earth.
Where can I put down my foot?
*
The door of longing: Nocturnal waves gather round you like a
strange boat. A good swimmer, you drown. No distractions now.
Yours alone. The smoldering rose blooms as the wind picks up
strength.
who am not unaware. The road and its icy hardships, this silence
and its single inferno, have tormented me. I have suffered from
too much wilderness, too much desert. Your expectations of me
are unfulfilled. Your messages to me remain unanswered. For I
am coming: there is no escape, no salvation from what we chose,
except to recall that we did choose it. I am coming so grant me
time without limit, be excessive with your affection, afflict us
both with pleasure; as for others, let them choose their own afflictions.
Let me have all the downy feathers of your shoulder. I will
lay my head there and weep out all the weeping until my liver
combusts, shooting out flames, fervors, vapors of longing. Attend
to all the forged, erroneous accounts—attend but don’t believe.
Defeated knights with their armies of assertions lay heaped upon
your shoulder claiming their absurd victory. But you: mind your
delicate shoulder and its downy softness. Listen for the howling
of the wolf, be sensitive to the lament of the heavy heart. You owe
me a debt, which I shall pay instead of you; and I owe you a debt,
which you will pay to me. Both of us are now in an enchanted
world. What we’ve become, we can’t escape.
*
Quivering, this earth.
Where can I put down my foot?
*
The door of longing: Nocturnal waves gather round you like a
strange boat. A good swimmer, you drown. No distractions now.
Yours alone. The smoldering rose blooms as the wind picks up
strength.
December 20, 2021
"What she uttered next
erased from his book
all despair
just as it was nearly crushing
all hope." (29)
erased from his book
all despair
just as it was nearly crushing
all hope." (29)
June 19, 2024
Poemario contemporáneo de un autor de Bahrein que sirve de retelling de la historia clásica árabe de Majnun y Layla, un cuento de amor desesperado cuyas primeras versiones datan del siglo VI y que en muchos aspectos se asemeja a otras historias similares que conocemos en Europa, como la de Abelardo y Eloísa o, includo, Romeo y Julieta. Esta historia de Majnun y Layla también la menciona Orhan Pamuk en su magistral "Me llamo Rojo".
A pesar de que tengo publicados dos poemarios, desde hace unos años y por motivos que no vienen al caso no soy buen lector de poesía. No sé si por este motivo, porque lo he leído en inglés, porque la traducción no me termina de convencer del todo, porque quizás hay una serie de códigos poéticos de tradición árabe que desconozco o por cualquier otra razón, no he conseguido conectar del todo con el libro.
Aun así, hay algunos momentos realmente poderosos y por eso no archivo el libro en mi biblioteca de libros reguleros. Pongo aquí dos de ellos:
"And it was said she was queen of djinns who (...) gave herself to one man, so he took her. Then he passed his spirit into every passerby, every resident, every coward who ever concealed his love for a woman, exposing every woman hiding her infatuation for someone other than her husband. His name became synonymous with infamy: Qays. All around the land the shedding of his blood became lawful. Swords sought him out. But no sooner did these weapons find him than their holders appealed to him, "Don´t stop". And he did not stop"
"Those who utilized an astrolabe to tell the time and pattern for love failed to articulate for us which of the two halves is lawful -halal- for the woman-beloved in the body of the man-lover. At that moment we know not who kindles the body and who quenches, who is the ember and who is the air".
Hay un pasaje de este libro que me ha dejado bastante loco porque parecía un refrito poético de la escena de la cocina de la película "Nueve semanas y media". Más allá de los loles, es una escena maravillosa que, junto a otras similares del libro, me ha animado a conocer más la tradición de poesía erótica árabe.
A pesar de que tengo publicados dos poemarios, desde hace unos años y por motivos que no vienen al caso no soy buen lector de poesía. No sé si por este motivo, porque lo he leído en inglés, porque la traducción no me termina de convencer del todo, porque quizás hay una serie de códigos poéticos de tradición árabe que desconozco o por cualquier otra razón, no he conseguido conectar del todo con el libro.
Aun así, hay algunos momentos realmente poderosos y por eso no archivo el libro en mi biblioteca de libros reguleros. Pongo aquí dos de ellos:
"And it was said she was queen of djinns who (...) gave herself to one man, so he took her. Then he passed his spirit into every passerby, every resident, every coward who ever concealed his love for a woman, exposing every woman hiding her infatuation for someone other than her husband. His name became synonymous with infamy: Qays. All around the land the shedding of his blood became lawful. Swords sought him out. But no sooner did these weapons find him than their holders appealed to him, "Don´t stop". And he did not stop"
"Those who utilized an astrolabe to tell the time and pattern for love failed to articulate for us which of the two halves is lawful -halal- for the woman-beloved in the body of the man-lover. At that moment we know not who kindles the body and who quenches, who is the ember and who is the air".
Hay un pasaje de este libro que me ha dejado bastante loco porque parecía un refrito poético de la escena de la cocina de la película "Nueve semanas y media". Más allá de los loles, es una escena maravillosa que, junto a otras similares del libro, me ha animado a conocer más la tradición de poesía erótica árabe.
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November 10, 2023I'm perplexed how this book won a translation award. Apart from occasional stunning lines, I have very little to say in favor of this translation. It is preoccupied with sounding poetic, i.e., fancy words and constructs like "a mist primeval" or "excessively lured" or "I loosed clamoring delirium". The translators have a weird fixation on the words "chemise" "ooze" and "wallow". The sexiest poems are ruined by the image of the lovers wallowing and oozing all over each other, making Majnun and Layla seem an awful lot like porn actors. The English isn't natural, and the translators' approach to grammar and full sentences is inconsistent.
The book has sparked my interest in reading the original poems, which seem thoroughly awesome. This was my introduction to Qassim Haddad, so I'm grateful to the translators for making his work accessible to English speakers. And assuming that the translators didn't drift too far for the sake of poeticity, it'll be a useful companion for deciphering the Arabic.
The book has sparked my interest in reading the original poems, which seem thoroughly awesome. This was my introduction to Qassim Haddad, so I'm grateful to the translators for making his work accessible to English speakers. And assuming that the translators didn't drift too far for the sake of poeticity, it'll be a useful companion for deciphering the Arabic.
March 6, 2022
World Book Tour #13: Bahrain
This was a really cool read! When searching for a book from Bahrain, I learned that Bahrain has a pretty active poetry scene, and was delighted to find this English translation of a collection by poet Qassim Haddad. That prompted me to read about Haddad's background, which is quite fascinating (among other things, Haddad's literary skills derive from his self-education as a library employee and, as a young man, Haddad spent about five years in prison for his progressive political views).
I really enjoyed this collection. The English translation seemed somewhat overwrought at times, often opting for flowery language at the sake of clarity, but Haddad's wonderful work shined through nonetheless. Much of the collection consists of a single long narrative poem, which is Haddad's retelling of the classic Arabic love poem "Layla & Majnun." Haddad puts a modern spin on the tale, emphasizing how repressive social forces shaped the titular lovers' tragic story. The collection also contains a number of short poems, many of which I found quite lovely. In closing, I'll share one that I particularly liked, titled "The Charmed:"
He lights the house's lone candle
opens the door to the nocturnal room,
his gift from the ancestors.
His first foot pressing forward,
he penetrates the lampless space,
veers with his witness-candle,
seeking out the dark.
The candle expires, he lights it,
expires again, he lights it.
Matchsticks low, he cannot find the dark.
This was a really cool read! When searching for a book from Bahrain, I learned that Bahrain has a pretty active poetry scene, and was delighted to find this English translation of a collection by poet Qassim Haddad. That prompted me to read about Haddad's background, which is quite fascinating (among other things, Haddad's literary skills derive from his self-education as a library employee and, as a young man, Haddad spent about five years in prison for his progressive political views).
I really enjoyed this collection. The English translation seemed somewhat overwrought at times, often opting for flowery language at the sake of clarity, but Haddad's wonderful work shined through nonetheless. Much of the collection consists of a single long narrative poem, which is Haddad's retelling of the classic Arabic love poem "Layla & Majnun." Haddad puts a modern spin on the tale, emphasizing how repressive social forces shaped the titular lovers' tragic story. The collection also contains a number of short poems, many of which I found quite lovely. In closing, I'll share one that I particularly liked, titled "The Charmed:"
He lights the house's lone candle
opens the door to the nocturnal room,
his gift from the ancestors.
His first foot pressing forward,
he penetrates the lampless space,
veers with his witness-candle,
seeking out the dark.
The candle expires, he lights it,
expires again, he lights it.
Matchsticks low, he cannot find the dark.
October 23, 2019
I just finished reading "The Chronicles of Majnun Layla & Selected Poems" by Bahraini poet Qassim Haddad.
The folktales of Majnun Layla are 12th Century Iranian in origin but it has spread through most of the subcontinent of Asia.
It is a tale about a young man driven insane for the love of his cousin who is married to someone else.
Eric Clapton stumbled across an Indian version which inspired the eponymously titled song.
Haddad's semi-erotic retelling created quite a controversy with Islamic fundamentalists who branded it as contrary to religious morals.
Personally, I can't think of a more ringing endorsement than that.
The folktales of Majnun Layla are 12th Century Iranian in origin but it has spread through most of the subcontinent of Asia.
It is a tale about a young man driven insane for the love of his cousin who is married to someone else.
Eric Clapton stumbled across an Indian version which inspired the eponymously titled song.
Haddad's semi-erotic retelling created quite a controversy with Islamic fundamentalists who branded it as contrary to religious morals.
Personally, I can't think of a more ringing endorsement than that.
February 21, 2019
Beautiful Narrative and Poetry
Haddad’s version of the Layla Majnun tale is absolutely beautiful, and the translation is lively and engaging. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in this love story whether or not they are familiar with the tradition.
The other poems in the collection offer a delightful sample of Haddad’s powerful poetry. I cannot recommend this highly enough.
Haddad’s version of the Layla Majnun tale is absolutely beautiful, and the translation is lively and engaging. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in this love story whether or not they are familiar with the tradition.
The other poems in the collection offer a delightful sample of Haddad’s powerful poetry. I cannot recommend this highly enough.
August 20, 2025
3.8
Beautiful works by acclaimed Bahraini poet Qassim Haddad, whose rendition of the classic Majnun Layla is some of the best poetry I’ve read in a while. Soulful, experimental, and very well translated+interpreted by Ghazoul. I felt I learned a bit about traditional Bahraini life from portions of his autobiography added to the introduction and appendix, which I’m so sad is not available in English. Favorites: Adventure, Genesis, Memory of All That.
Beautiful works by acclaimed Bahraini poet Qassim Haddad, whose rendition of the classic Majnun Layla is some of the best poetry I’ve read in a while. Soulful, experimental, and very well translated+interpreted by Ghazoul. I felt I learned a bit about traditional Bahraini life from portions of his autobiography added to the introduction and appendix, which I’m so sad is not available in English. Favorites: Adventure, Genesis, Memory of All That.
April 3, 2023
This was hornier than I expected
March 3, 2017
Bahrainske Qassim Haddads prosadigte har givetvis stor kvalitet for dem, der er til den slags. Personligt var jeg et godt stykke fra at blive grebet af guddommelig digterisk galskab eller noget, der ligner, ved at læse dem. Men læsningen af Qassim Haddad gav god inspiration til at læse lidt op på sagnet om Majnun og Layla og dets reception i både østlig og vestlig kulturhistorie, og det var til gengæld helt interessant.
Læs hele anmeldelsen her: http://bognoter.dk/2017/02/19/qassim-...
Læs hele anmeldelsen her: http://bognoter.dk/2017/02/19/qassim-...
May 16, 2016
This was a beautiful book in the Arabic tradition of Akhbar Majnun Layla, which the translators chose to phrase as the Chronicles of Majnun Layla. It is a common genre in Arabic literature about a man named Qays who wanders the desert, mad with desire for Layla, who he cannot have. I really enjoyed learning about the genre through this book. Haddad is a Bahraini poet, who elevates the tale beyond a Romeo and Juliet story into the story of a poet and the Word. It also reminded me a bit of Abelard and Heloise, and I am now psyched to research the influence of Majnun Layla tales on that story. The edition also includes some of his poems in translation, which are eloquent. Phrases like this stick out, "A mountain goat--wind defeating his horns--/makes light/of a mountain rock." That reminds me of another point. Some of the Majnun Layla poetry echoed parts of the Song of Solomon and the book of Revelation where Christ spreads his tents wide for His Bride. It is wonderful to trace a literature back to those fundamental, shared roots. This book has helped me grow as a reader. Another Arabic into English translation I'm so thankful I didn't miss.
September 15, 2014
Dull dull title for a novel with more erotica and heat in it than the gastritis I'm having right now. Holy smokes, this book made me blush. What is with the cover? Get Yoshitaka Amano or something boddiceripper to make it appealing, This is better than Lang Leav. It started with everything cited academically and suddenly, the words made ALL OTP pairing subpar to this sort of oral poetry. Love and obsession! I haven't experience this surreal intensity since Ewan McGregor singing All You Need is Love. Ots like Manon Lescaut except better.
How could I let this book stuck in my ARC pile for so long? Tak patut.. tak patut.
How could I let this book stuck in my ARC pile for so long? Tak patut.. tak patut.
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September 23, 2015This book was featured in the Nota Benes section of the Sept/Oct 2015 issue of World Literature Today Magazine.
http://www.worldliteraturetoday.org/2...
http://www.worldliteraturetoday.org/2...
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews