Love, Death, and Exile: Poems Translated from Arabic

by Abdul Wahab Al-Bayati, Bassam K. Frangieh (Translator)

Called a major innovator in his art form" by The New York Times , Baghdad-born poet Abdul Wahab Al-Bayati broke with over fifteen centuries of Arabic poetic tradition to write in free verse and became world famous in the process. Love, Death, and Poems Translated from Arabic is a rare, bilingual facing-page edition in both the original Arabic text and a highly praised English translation by Bassam K. Frangieh, containing selections from eight of Al-Bayati's books of poetry.

Forced to spend much of his life in exile from his native Iraq, Al-Bayati created poetry that is not only revolutionary and political, but also steeped in mysticism and allusion, moving and full of longing. This collection is a superb introduction to Al-Bayati, Arabic language, and Arabic literature and culture as well.

On Al-Bayati's death in 1999, The New York Times obituary quoted him as saying once that his many years of absence from his homeland had been a tormenting experience that had great impact on his poetry. I always dream at night that I am in Iraq and hear its heart beating and smell its fragrance carried by the wind, especially after midnight when it's quiet.

Genres: Poetry, Middle East

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1990

Reviews

[Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

Abdul Wahab Al-Bayati was a powerhouse of a poet. Born in Iraq and living much of his life in exile, Al-Bayati was a transformational Arab poet, who spearheaded the free verse movement along with Badr Shakir Al-Sayyab and Nazik Al-Mala'ika. But he was also a powerhouse not only in terms of his pioneering style, but in terms of the substance of his poetry, rich in allusion, and in terms of his prolificity.

There are challenges with translating from any language. Compromises must be made, something is lost. While it is undoubtedly true that Al-Bayati is probably best read in Arabic, the translation by Bassam Frangieh has been highly praised for its ability to capture the essence of Al-Bayati's verse and style. While this bilingual edition presents the text in both Arabic and English, I am not able to read any Arabic, so I will take the critics at their word. I am sure that if I were able to read Arabic and had a deeper understanding of Arab history and culture, I would appreciate these works even more. But even with the basic understanding of Arab history and culture that I have and not the slightest ability to read the poems in the original language, I find much to admire in Al-Bayati's verse.

In exile, people die and are born again like the phoenix, over and again. Love is found, but is both ubiquitous and fleeting, not unlike Ahab's White Whale. Presented as Aisha who sometimes takes the form of a butterfly, sometimes a gazelle, love is delicate and graceful, but also nimble. She is tangible at one moment and disappears the next.

The poems in this collection all deal with the themes of love, death and exile, as the title suggests. The historical places Al-Bayati deals with are all places he knew in his own exile: from Iraq to Syria, Spain, Russia. The poets and artists of these lands, and especially those of Spain - Federico García Lorca, Antonio Machado, Pablo Picasso - are his comrades in spirit. There is a sense of loss in these poems, but in every death there is a rebirth - through love, through art, through freedom, through life itself in spite of it all.

[J.M. Hushour · Rating 5 out of 5]

Properly Abdul Wahab al-Bayati. An Iraqi poet who spent much of his life abroad in exile. Hailed as part of the avant-garde movement in Arabic poetry which moved away from classical strictures. A great poet:
"Cities die in plagues
Others are flattened by earthquakes
Everywhere starvation, wars, and destruction
Civilizations, eras collapse.
But the peacock shamelessly
Shows his genitals to the people."

[Mesut Bostancı · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really great primer in his work

[Arisawe Hampton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Glorious! The translation into English still has such clarity and purpose. I would say he is one of the greatest but perhaps underrated poets.

One of my favorites ❤️

[Sabreen Ibrahim · Rating 2 out of 5]

بعد قراءتي له اكتشفت اني لا افضل قراءة الشعر .. صحيح كانت الكلمات تعبر عن براعة البياتي في تعبيره .. و لكنني لم استمتع في قراءته اذ قبل القراءة و بعد قراءته لم يتغير شيء ! ولا يوجد شك بجمال كلمات البياتي

[Ianluna · Rating 5 out of 5]

i have the georgetown univ press edition with the mixed-up pages, but as modern exilic poetry goes, this is a heartbreaker

[Jonathan]

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