After centuries of oppressive Ottoman rule, the Arab world began to find new vitality and freedom in the twentieth century. The accompanying resurgence of creative expression is splendidly reflected in this definitive anthology of contemporary Arabic poetry, which spans the modern Arab world from the turn of the century to the present, from the Arab Gulf to Morocco. The editor, Salma Khadra Jayyusi, a renowned expert on modern Arabic literature, presents a through introduction to the works of more than ninety Arab poets. To create the best possible English translation, each selection has been translated first by a bilingual expert and then by an English-language poet, who creatively renders it into idiomatic English.

"The high quality of the translation gives the poems an English texture with no loss of their Arabic authenticity... a fine work and a major contribution, much needed and long awaited..." International Journal of Middle Eastern Studies [Modern Arabic Poetry] establishes new standards of sensitivity, accuracy, and readability. World Literature Today

Salma Khadra Jayyusi, widely known for her poetry, literary criticism, and scholarship, is the author of Trends and Movements in Modern Arabic Poetry, and numerous other articles and studies. She taught at several Arab and American universities before leaving to found and direct PROTA, Project of Translation from Arabic, dedicated to translating the best in Arabic literature, classic and modern, into English.