The Butterfly's Burden

Mahmoud Darwish is the leading poet in the Arab world, an artist, and activist who attracts thousands to his public readings. The Butterfly's Burden combines the complete text of Darwish's two most recent full-length volumes, linked by the stunning memoir-witness poem “A State of Siege. ” Love poems, sonnets, journal-like distillations, and interlaced lyrics balance old literary traditions with new forms, highlighting loving reflections alongside bitter longing.