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elevetha 's review for:
Music of a Distant Drum: Classical Arabic, Persian, Turkish & Hebrew Poems
by Abu'l-'Atahiya, Bernard Lewis, Yehuda HaLevi
If not something I would regularly read nor a favourite of mine, this was somewhat fascinating. I've read very little translated poetry, let alone centuries old poetry!, and a glimpse into the lives and the heart and the history of these cultures and individuals from so long ago is really quite intriging.
To be honest though, much of what these poets wrote about is pretty eternal. Which honestly was part of the fun. Wine, women, and religion are the predominant topics, with wine giving me the greatest amusement, seeing as how the majority of the authors would have been forbidden imbibing due to...religion. Which in a way also applies to much of what was going on in the 'women' themed poems, but it didn't tickle my funny bone nearly as much. Maybe because the poets were as enthusiastic regarding the wine as they were the women and reading someone wax dramatically about their favorite (not to mention forbidden) beverage really just spoke to me.
Preferred the Persian poems best, with the Hebrew in close second.
To be honest though, much of what these poets wrote about is pretty eternal. Which honestly was part of the fun. Wine, women, and religion are the predominant topics, with wine giving me the greatest amusement, seeing as how the majority of the authors would have been forbidden imbibing due to...religion. Which in a way also applies to much of what was going on in the 'women' themed poems, but it didn't tickle my funny bone nearly as much. Maybe because the poets were as enthusiastic regarding the wine as they were the women and reading someone wax dramatically about their favorite (not to mention forbidden) beverage really just spoke to me.
Preferred the Persian poems best, with the Hebrew in close second.