An Exiled Bird

This collection by Adeeb Kamal Ad-Deen (b. 1953, Iraq) continues the poet’s preoccupations with the mystical force of the Arabic letter and Sufi symbolism, and in his later work, with exile from his homeland. He has earned his distinctive position within contemporary Arabic poetry, as recognized by his many publications and awards. Now living in Australia, he continues to grow his reputation through the English translations of his work.

An Exiled Bird advances Kamal Ad-Deen’s lifelong exploration of the mystery of the letter and the texture of the human spirit. Here, that task is infused with the complexities and realities of displacement. That said, his poems transcend place and defy nostalgia, speaking in a voice that converses with the sacred and the secular, the private and the political.

The poems in this collection reflect recurring motifs such as the bird as a figure of exile, the sea as a representation of distance and separation, circus performers as a metaphor for the absurdity of life, ash as the fragile remains of grief and loss, and the prophetic claims of madmen.

Vivienne Glance