A Time Between Ashes and Roses (Adonis), Translated from the Arabic

Syrian poet, Adonis (Ali Ahmad-Said), is a strong favorite for the 2005 Nobel Prize for literature. The Swedish Academy is likely to announce the prize on October 13. The author of numerous books of poetry and criticism, Adonis is considered to be among the most important modern Arab poets. The current political climate brings heightened interest to literature of the Middle East and long-overdue attention to a poet whose provocative content and arresting style have played a leading role in revolutionizing Arabic literature. Shawkat M. Toorawa provides the first complete translation—in a bilingual edition of the Arabic and English on facing pages—of his signature work, A Time Between Ashes and Roses, encouraging a greater audience to this powerful voice.

Adonis (Ali Ahmad Said) has written poetry, criticism, translations, and anthologies for fifty years. He has won numerous international poetry awards and was a finalist for the 2003 Nobel Prize for Literature.