Mahmoud Darwish, the world-renowned Palestinian poet, died in August 2008 at the age of 67
following heart surgery. His poetry, however, lives on and is relevant not just to Palestinians
and Jews, but to the whole, conflicted world yearning for peace. Translator Fady Joudah's
meticulous handling of Darwish's poems permits us to peer into the poet's soul and listen to
his heart.
Darwish was born in a village in the West Bank that later became part of the new State of
Israel. The family fled to Lebanon, and Darwish for a while lived abroad. At the age of 19, he
published his first book of poetry. When he joined the PLO in 1973, he was barred from
reentering Israel. Even though he was permitted to reside in Ramallah in 1995, he never felt
like it was his homeland; he felt disenfranchised. Much of his poetry deals with themes of exile,
loss and resurrection. Although his poetry is not overtly political, politics has a softly subtle
presence in his work. Darwish did not believe in the legitimacy of the State of Israel, but he
was not anti-Semitic; he did not hate Jews. If I Were Another does not advocate militancy.
The yearning, the grieving that does not necessarily go to the point of despair, and the concept
of homeland are eloquently examined in this collection.
His work is in part lyrical, with copious use of metaphor and references to sacred writings
and historical personages, but is not out of reach for most readers. To assist comprehension,
both a notes section and glossary are included in the book. This collection displays Darwish's
powerful virtuosity as a poet as he movingly describes the search for identity in exile.