Shadows and Light

May Ziadeh's poetry is the poetry of alienation and connection; the poetry of eternity and ephemeral existence; of intimate inner life in enclosed spaces and of distant horizons yearned for; of shared journeys and of solitude.

Her poetry transcends classification, for it is uniquely hers. She sees profoundly and the truths she speaks, even though clothed in poetic jewels and piercing insight, do not shy from the realities of life. Her poetry explores worlds of joy and sorrow, of the best and worst in us: the Shadows and Light of human existence.

The hand of a little child in all its innocence becomes, in her voice, a meditation on violence and war. Her watch becomes a gateway to cycles of eternity, to cycles of human hope and despair. Her works are like 'still lifes' - into which she weaves her inner world and the universals we all share.

For the first time, in this parallel language edition, an English translation brings Shadows and Light, May Ziadeh's most outstanding poetic collection, to the English-speaking world.

"... May stands out as would a beacon lighting its surroundings ... I love her because of her high intelligence and keen conception of the true values of life ... Frankly I do not feel I am worthy of her." Kahlil Gibran, author of The Prophet

"A true romantic, Ziadeh's literary style is characterized by fusing emotion with fantasy and romanticism with objectivity ..." Lubna Khader, journalist

"May's voice was unlike any other... her words had a musical poetry to them that captivated the mind as much as the ear ..." Taha Hussein, icon of Arabic letters

"May Ziadeh [is] the foremost woman in Arabic literature of the first three decades of the [twentieth] century ..." Soheil Bushrui, professor and poet