Words with rhythm

This collection of poems by Hisham Ali Hafiz, originally written in Arabic and translated into English by Farouq Luqman, is the second such collection of free-flowing verse that Hafiz has published. Again these verses come from the heart. Not only the heart of the poet but from the heart of Arabia, birthplace of Arabic poetry and Islam. It is hard to overemphasize the importance of poetry in the Arab world and the average person's appreciation of it. While most Westerners could probably whistle a bit of opera or recognize a Picasso, in the Arabic world, particularly in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf, poetry is the art form most widely appreciated by people from all walks of life. To be a poet is even more appreciated and can be compared most closely to the important position of the bard in traditional Celtic society. As in the previous volume. The Desert is My Oasis, the subject matter of these moving and deeply felt poems is intensely religious and family-oriented, though at the same time commenting on the political and social scene in the Middle East at the moment.