Mahmoud Darwish, 1942-2008: Palestinian Poet of Loss and Defiance

Mahmoud Darwish was the voice of two abandoned generations of Palestinians (Photo illustration by Abro via flickr).

Frequently shortlisted for the Nobel Prize, Mahmoud Darwish was a Palestinian poet, essayist and political activist whose voice was among the most powerful and resonant in late 20th century Arab literature. He spoke for two generations of Palestinians mostly abandoned by the Arab world, oppressed and infantilized by Israel, and betrayed by their own array of corrupt and self-serving Palestinian leaders. He spoke with the voice of a people silenced, as in these lines from "I Come from There":

I learnt all the words worthy of the court of blood
So that I could break the rule.
I learnt all the words and broke them up
To make a single word: Homeland.

Darwish died from complications of open-heart surgery on Aug. 9 in Houston. He was 67.

Read a complete profile of the life and work of Mahmoud Darwish.

See Also:

• Homage to Mahmoud Darwish (Scott MacLeod of Time)