Paradise In the Poetry of Mahmoud Darwish

"Poem by Mahmoud Darwish, born in 1942 in Berweh, a village east of Acre in Palestine- 1998, Natural ink + water color on paper, diwâni jali style. Darwish, probably the best known contemporary Arab poet, is known for his activist poetry regarding Palestinian rights. Much of his work has been set to music by Marcel Khalife."


I found an exquisite book of poetry today, "Unfortunately, It Was Paradise," by Mahmoud Darwish. A great poet speaks beyond their own culture to embrace that of humanity and Darwish illustrates this poetic capacity in his work. In this book, "Palestine is a metaphor for the loss of Eden, for the sorrows of dispossession and exile...." -for the sorrows that belong to existence.

The Stranger Finds Himself in the Stranger

We are two become one.
We have no name, strange woman,
when the stranger finds himself in the stranger.
What remains of the garden behind us is the power of the shadow.
Show what you will of your night's earth, and hide what you will.
We come hurriedly from the twilight of two places at once.
Together we searched for our addresses.
Follow your shadow, east of the Song of Songs,
herding sand grouse.
you will find a star residing it its own death.
Climb a deserted mountain,
you will find my yesterday coming full circle to my tomorrow.
You will find where we were and where, together we will be.

We are two become one, strange man.
go to the sea west of your book, and dive as lightly
as if you were riding two waves at birth,
you will find of thicket of seaweed and a green sky of water.
Dive as lightly as if you were nothing in nothing.
And you will find us together.....