Born in 1942 in the village of Birwa in the Galilee in what was then Palestine, Mahmoud Darwish is the considered to be the national poet of Palestine. In 1948, Darwish’s family fled their village and when they returned it was inhabited by an Israeli settlement. The Darwish family moved to another village, and here Mahmoud grew up as an “internal refugee” in what had become Israel. As a young man, Darwish’s political activity earned him punishments from the Israelis in the form of house arrests and imprisonment. In 1971, Darwish left his homeland, not to return until 1996, when he was warmly received by Palestinians who had long honored the man and his poetry. Here is a sampling of Mahmoud Darwish’s brand of simple yet powerful poetry: A Lover from Palestine (Excerpt)
Her eyes and the tattoo on her hands are Palestinian I Am There
I come from there and remember, Identity Card
Record!
Record!
Record!
Record!
Therefore! Read More...
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