Arab women poets work within one of the oldest literary traditions in the world, yet they are virtually unknown in the West. In assembling this collection, Nathalie Handal has compiled an outstanding, important treasury that introduces the poetry of Arab women living all over the world, writing in Arabic, French, English, and other languages, and including some of the twentieth century’s most accomplished poets as well as today’s most exciting new voices. Translated by distinguished translators and poets from around the world, The Poetry of Arab Women: A Contemporary Anthology showcases the work of 82 poets, among them Etel Adnan, Andrée Chedid, Salma Khadra Jayyusi, Naomi Shihab Nye, and Fadwa Tuqan. With an illuminating introduction by Handal, and extensive biographies of both poets and translators, The Poetry of Arab Women sheds brilliant light on a hitherto under-recognized group of talented poets.

Elmaz Abi-Nader --Huda Ablan -- Fawziyya Abu-Khalid -- Zulaykha Abu-Risha -- Etel Adnan -- Laila ‘Allush -- Lamea Abbas Amara -- ‘Aisha Arnaout -- S. V. Atalla Bank -- Thérèse ‘Awwad -- Fadhila Chabbi -- Andrée Chedid -- Siham Da’oud -- Safaa Fathy -- Mona Fayad -- Claire Gebeyli -- Nujoum al-Ghanim -- Nada el-Hage -- Laila Halaby -- Suheir Hammad -- Nathalie Handal -- Dima Hilal -- Hoda Hussein -- Donia el-Amal Ismail -- ‘Enayat Jaber -- Annemarie Jacir -- Salma Khadra Jayyusi -- Amal al-Juburi -- Joanna Kadi -- Mohja Kahf -- Pauline Kaldas -- Fatma Kandil -- Dhabya Khamees -- Hamda Khamees -- Nidaa Khoury -- Vénus Khoury-Ghata -- Wafaa’ Lamrani -- Fatima Mahmoud -- Lisa Suhair Majaj -- Nazik al-Mala’ika -- Zakiyya Malallah -- Thurayya Malhas -- al-Zahra al-Mansouri -- Maram Masri -- D.H. Melhem -- Iman Mersal -- Dunya Mikhail -- Hala Mohammad -- Brenda J. Moossy -- Rawia Morra -- Amal Moussa. -- Although the sky... ; New Year's morning ; What we leave behind ; Letters from home / -- Strangers / -- Two little girls ; A country ; To enjoy the horror ; Geometry of the soul / -- Marble ; Khobayza ; Tree ; Mewl / -- From The spring flowers own ; From The Indian never had a horse ; From There / -- The path of affection / -- San Diego (on a rainy day) ; The commandments / -- Orbits ; Spinal cord / -- Diaspora ; Visiting the West Bank / -- My loneliness ; I undressed myself ; I found one word / -- The blind goddess ; Engraving twenty-nine / -- Full face ; Going forth ; Turn ; Renegade / -- I love in white ink / -- The sailor ; Seasons / -- Whisper ; Salma in wonderland / -- A man is dead ; Beirut / -- Sand in flames ; From trespasses / -- Follow me ; A land stretching up to the sky ; Overflow ; The journey of the shadow / -- Handfuls of wind ; Refugee ; Long distance / -- Manifest destiny ; Broken and beirut ; Of woman torn / -- Goran's whispers ; Forgetting, love ; The sigh / -- Ghaflah-the sin of forgetfulness ; A different morning altogether ; Bedouin eyes / -- A room of one's own ; Male grownups ; Childhood / -- A moment of mourning / -- Solitude ; Clarity ; Smell ; Circle / -- Pistachio ice cream / -- Dearest love ; In the Casbah ; The sunken ship / -- Enheduanna and Goethe ; Protest / -- Looking back ; ArabInnocents / -- The first thing ; The Roc ; On the death of Nizar Qabbani / -- Morning ; Home ; Landscapes / -- Thorny gaps suddenly moving ; Emaciated teeth ; Veins all dried up / -- Letter ; Glance ; Standing worship ; Loneliness ; Gulf / -- What is not mine ; Time for dejection ; Time to shine / -- The last bullet ; People of fire ; People of grapes / -- Because they hesitated between roses and darkness ; It was a season tattooed onto the forehead of the earth ; Humbly, he speaks to his tools ; They / -- The wail of heights ; I am consecrated to the coming one / -- What was not conceivable / -- Jerusalem song ; In season ; First light ; Arguments / -- Cholera ; Five hymns to pain / -- Little tales ; Women / -- An orphan ; False... false / -- The secrecy of mirrors ; Abandonment / -- Untitled ; Small sins / -- From rest in love ; From country ; Boy in a hospital / -- Solitude exercises / -- Rain ; The dawn fairy ; The Chaldean ruins / -- 4 What am I chasing! ; 24 At the door of anticipation ; 43 The man who offers me his chest ; 58 Love burned out the light / -- A notion of grace ; I can no longer care for the dying ; When fat women fear famine / -- From Ghurba / -- Love me ; Autumn rose ; A formal poem / Although the sky... ; New Year's morning ; What we leave behind ; Letters from home / Elmaz Abi-Nader -- Strangers / Huda Ablan -- Two little girls ; A country ; To enjoy the horror ; Geometry of the soul / Fawziyya Abu-Khalid -- Marble ; Khobayza ; Tree ; Mewl / Zulaykha Abu-Risha -- From The spring flowers own ; From The Indian never had a horse ; From There / Etel Adnan -- The path of affection / Laila `Allush -- San Diego (on a rainy day) ; The commandments / Lamea Abbas Amara -- Orbits ; Spinal cord / `Aisha Arnaout -- Diaspora ; Visiting the West Bank / S. V. Atalla Bank -- My loneliness ; I undressed myself ; I found one word / Thérèse `Awwad -- The blind goddess ; Engraving twenty-nine / Fadhila Chabbi -- Full face ; Going forth ; Turn ; Renegade / Andrée Chedid -- I love in white ink / Siham Daoud -- The sailor ; Seasons / Safaa Fathy -- Whisper ; Salma in wonderland / Mona Fayad -- A man is dead ; Beirut / Claire Gebeyli -- Sand in flames ; From trespasses / Nujoum al-Ghanim -- Follow me ; A land stretching up to the sky ; Overflow ; The journey of the shadow / Nada el-Hage -- Handfuls of wind ; Refugee ; Long distance / Laila Halaby -- Manifest destiny ; Broken and beirut ; Of woman torn / Suheir Hammad -- Goran's whispers ; Forgetting, love ; The sigh / Nathalie Handal -- Ghaflah-the sin of forgetfulness ; A different morning altogether ; Bedouin eyes / Dima Hilal -- A room of one's own ; Male grownups ; Childhood / Hoda Hussein -- A moment of mourning / Donia el-Amal Ismail -- Solitude ; Clarity ; Smell ; Circle / `Enayat Jaber -- Pistachio ice cream / Annemarie Jacir -- Dearest love ; In the Casbah ; The sunken ship / Salma Khadra Jayyusi -- Enheduanna and Goethe ; Protest / Amal al-Juburi -- Looking back ; ArabInnocents / Joanna Kadi -- The first thing ; The Roc ; On the death of Nizar Qabbani / Mohja Kahf -- Morning ; Home ; Landscapes / Pauline Kaldas -- Thorny gaps suddenly moving ; Emaciated teeth ; Veins all dried up / Fatma Kandil -- Letter ; Glance ; Standing worship ; Loneliness ; Gulf / Dhabya Khamees -- What is not mine ; Time for dejection ; Time to shine / Hamda Khamees -- The last bullet ; People of fire ; People of grapes / Nidaa Khoury -- Because they hesitated between roses and darkness ; It was a season tattooed onto the forehead of the earth ; Humbly, he speaks to his tools ; They / Vénus Khoury-Ghata -- The wail of heights ; I am consecrated to the coming one / Wafaa Lamrani -- What was not conceivable / Fatima Mahmoud -- Jerusalem song ; In season ; First light ; Arguments / Lisa Suhair Majaj -- Cholera ; Five hymns to pain / Nazik al-Malaika -- Little tales ; Women / Zakiyya Malallah -- An orphan ; False... false / Thurayya Malhas -- The secrecy of mirrors ; Abandonment / al-Zahra al-Mansouri -- Untitled ; Small sins / Maram Masri -- From rest in love ; From country ; Boy in a hospital / D.H. Melhem -- Solitude exercises / Iman Mersal -- Rain ; The dawn fairy ; The Chaldean ruins / Dunya Mikhail -- 4 What am I chasing! ; 24 At the door of anticipation ; 43 The man who offers me his chest ; 58 Love burned out the light / Hala Mohammad -- A notion of grace ; I can no longer care for the dying ; When fat women fear famine / Brenda J. Moossy -- From Ghurba / Rawia Morra -- Love me ; Autumn rose ; A formal poem / Amal Moussa.