This Iraq will reach the ends of the graveyard. It will bury its sons in open country generation after generation, and it will forgive its despot... It will not be the Iraq that once held the
name. —from "A Vision" Living his life in exile—a series of forced departures from numerous countries—Iraqi poet Saadi Youssef also writes outside the long-standing forms of traditional Arabic
poetry. In the words of Salma Khadra, a critic of Arabic poetry, "Youssef's poetry abounds with the sights, smells, colors, and movement of life around him, depicting scenes of great
familiarity and intimacy. This is a great achievement in the face of the rage and fury and technical complexities of much of the other poetry written by his contemporaries." Beautifully
translated by Khaled Mattawa, Graywolf is proud to present this vital voice to the United States.
