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Concerto al-Quds Adonis

Concerto al-Quds By Adonis

Concerto al-Quds by Adonis


Summary

A cri de c/ur or fully imagined poem on the myth and history of Jerusalem/Al-Quds from the author revered as the greatest living Arabic poet

Concerto al-Quds Summary

Concerto al-Quds by Adonis

A cri de coeur on the myth and history of Jerusalem/Al-Quds from the author revered as the greatest living Arabic poet

Adonis, an Arabic poet with Syrian origins, a critic, an essayist, and a devoted secularist, has come out of retirement to pen an extended, innovative poem on Jerusalem/Al-Quds. It is a hymn to a troubled city embattled by the conflicting demands of Jews, Christians, and Muslims. Adonis's city, as a coveted land, ought to suggest the universal love of humanity; as a land of tragedy, a place of contending history and beliefs and a locus of bitterness, conflict, hatred, rivalry, and blood. Wrapping multiple voices, historical references, and political viewpoints within his ecstatic lyricism, Adonis has created a provocative work of unique beauty and profound wisdom, beautifully rendered in English by award-winning poet Khaled Mattawa.

Concerto al-Quds Reviews

The poet's secularist summa, a condemnation of monotheism couched in the form of a surrealist montage. . . . It is impossible to read Concerto-the relentlessly high pitch of its language, its emphatic repetitions and violent imagery-without recalling its Old Testament and Quranic models. There is no other modern Arab poet who so successfully conjures the grim beauty of the ancient works even while casting them in forms taken from the twentieth-century avant-garde.-Robyn Creswell, New Yorker

These sensitively serious reflections imbue us with a much-needed hope.-Jade Cuttle, Magma

Simultaneously cacophonous and sublime. . . . Adonis is a master of poetic orchestration.-Eric Ormsby, TLS

Shortlisted for 2018 Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation, sponsored by Banipal Magazine for Modern Arab Literature

This universal concerto as translated by Khaled Mattawa has captured the beauty of the original. It is a beautiful English verse, faithful and sensitive; it is a great service not only to the poetry of Adonis, or Arabic poetry, but to world poetry.-Bassam Frangieh, author of Arabic for Life

In Concerto al-Quds, the poet Adonis grapples with the ravages of history and the ancient, fractious site known as al-Quds, or Jerusalem. Adonis writes with music in the blood, ferocity of vision, and bristling intelligence. Fueled by serious duende and a powerful sense of urgency, Concerto al-Quds is a monumental work and book of reckoning, masterfully translated by Khaled Mattawa.-Jessica Hagedorn, author of Dogeaters

About Adonis

Adonis, born Ali Ahmad Sa'id, is a Syrian poet. He has been a leading figure in the modernist movement in Arabic poetry since the mid-twentieth century. He lives in France. Khaled Mattawa is professor of English and creative writing at the University of Michigan. He has received a MacArthur grant and many other awards for his writings and translations.

Additional information

CIN0300197640G
9780300197648
0300197640
Concerto al-Quds by Adonis
Used - Good
Hardback
Yale University Press
20180103
96
N/A
Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
This is a used book - there is no escaping the fact it has been read by someone else and it will show signs of wear and previous use. Overall we expect it to be in good condition, but if you are not entirely satisfied please get in touch with us

Customer Reviews - Concerto al-Quds