A river dies of thirst: journals

This remarkable collection of poems, meditations, fragments, and journal entries was Mahmoud Darwish’s last volume to come out in Arabic. This River is at once lyrical and philosophical, questioning and wise, full of irony, resistance, and play. Darwish’s musings on unrest and loss dwell on love and humanity; myth and dream are inseparable from truth. Throughout this personal collection, Darwish returns frequently to his ongoing and often lighthearted conversation with death. A River Dies of Thirst is a collection of quiet revelations, embracing poetry, life, death, love, and the human condition. Contents......Page 5 Acknowledgements......Page 11 A River Dies of Thirst......Page 13 The girl/The scream......Page 15 Greenflies......Page 16 Like a prose poem......Page 17 If only I were a stone......Page 18 Beyond identification......Page 19 The enemy......Page 20 Nero......Page 21 The forest......Page 22 Doves......Page 23 The house as casualty......Page 24 The cunning of the metaphor......Page 25 The mosquito......Page 26 An eagle flying low......Page 27 A personal duty......Page 29 A common enemy......Page 30 The rest of a life......Page 31 The colour yellow......Page 33 If only the young were trees......Page 34 We arrived too late......Page 35 Two strangers......Page 36 What's it all for?......Page 37 A talent for hope......Page 38 I am only him......Page 39 I did not dream......Page 40 The pretty girls' neighbour......Page 41 How far is far?......Page 42 He sees himself as absent......Page 43 He said: 'l'm afraid'......Page 44 The roar of silence......Page 45 A person chasing himself......Page 46 A longing to forget......Page 47 A river dies of thirst......Page 48 The wall......Page 49 The law of fear......Page 50 I walked on my heart......Page 51 Routine......Page 52 A gun and a shroud......Page 53 If we want to......Page 54 Cheated time......Page 56 Perfection......Page 57 One, two, three......Page 58 Empty boxes......Page 59 On nothingness......Page 60 My imagination ..• a faithful hunting dog......Page 61 If I were someone else......Page 62 Assassination......Page 63 Rustling......Page 65 A metaphor......Page 66 In the company of things......Page 67 A shawl made of silk......Page 68 A sort of loss......Page 69 A shameful land......Page 70 Summer and winter......Page 71 A coloured cloud......Page 72 A spring passing quickly......Page 73 Life to the last drop......Page 75 I was not with me......Page 77 The faces of truth......Page 78 As if he were asleep......Page 79 Visible music......Page 80 The road to where......Page 81 The humour of eternity......Page 82 The indifferent one......Page 83 The picture and the frame......Page 84 Snow......Page 85 An infectious disease......Page 86 A bed of lavender......Page 87 Most and least......Page 88 I am jealous of everything around you......Page 90 Lose one of your stars......Page 92 Private meetings......Page 93 She said to him......Page 94 A sneeze......Page 95 In praise of wine......Page 96 At the top of the cypress trees......Page 97 Point of view......Page 98 The mercy bullet......Page 99 Shyness......Page 100 Perfection is the same as imperfection......Page 101 Prickly pear......Page 103 In the empty square......Page 104 A short holiday......Page 105 Fame......Page 106 If I were a hunter......Page 107 Nightmare......Page 108 Iraq's night is long......Page 109 In Cordoba......Page 111 In Madrid......Page 113 High is the mountain......Page 115 I don't notice......Page 116 That word......Page 117 Echo......Page 118 The second olive tree......Page 119 Willow tree......Page 120 Right of return to paradise......Page 121 If it were not for sin......Page 122 Italian autumn......Page 123 Two travellers to a river......Page 124 A killer and innocent......Page 125 As if she is a song......Page 127 My poet/my other......Page 128 A dear sky and a green garden......Page 129 A single word......Page 130 The essence of the poem......Page 131 Satire......Page 133 On oratory and orators......Page 134 Half and half......Page 136 I think......Page 137 The second line......Page 138 Higher and further......Page 139 The canary......Page 140 On a boat on the Nile......Page 141 The lonely man's addiction......Page 142 In Rabat......Page 143 Description......Page 144 InSkogas......Page 145 The exile fin