The Pages of Day and Night

It is impossible to do justice to such strong and beautiful poetry. And to think that I owe it also to the good graces and keen skill of a poet-translator, Samuel Hazo. You should read this book because (1) Adonis is one of the greater 20th century arabic poets, (2) both his short lyrics and his longer odes (four included here: one each on Lebanon (?), Exile, New York, and Love) are worth committing to memory and imitation and (3) the book includes both a Preface and an essay, Poetry and Apolitical Culture, that serve as keys both to his poetry and to Arabic poetry across the ages.

Adonis says that the Arab poet lives between two exiles: the internal one and the external one or between two hells: the I and the Other. "The I is not I, nor is it the Other. Absence and exile constitute the only presence." He hopes for some promise of a beginning from a poetry and at the same time doubts if it is possible between two exiles when he is prevented from being himself and when he even doesn't live for the Other.He feels that poetry as if is moving to the language and image of death, where both I and the Other discover their deaths. The Days My eyes are tired, tired of days, tired regardless of days. Still, must I drill through wall after wall of days to seek another day Is there? Is there another day?

It's a real shame Adonis books are so hard to find here in America. This guy is such a gem! When I was in Paris, it was a real treat to be at the Centre du Monde Arabe where they had quite a number of Adonis books in their bookstore. I predict he's a near future Nobel prize winner. If you like Adonis, drop me a line sometime.