Since Mahmoud Darwish’s death in 2008 his poetic writings continue to be read by an audience in awe. Why Did You Leave the Horse Alone? is a collection of autobiographical poetry designed to give an insight into the wider human condition. Darwish’s writing explores the meaning of life, identity and the impact of exile. Hailed as the most important Arab poet of the modern day, Darwish’s voice has come to represent a generation and the Palestinian people in the midst of the tense political situation in the Middle East. While Darwish explored themes of lost Eden, exile and life after death, he resisted classification as a spokesperson for the Palestinian cause, and refused to use his art for purely political ends. Darwish’s was a nomadic existence, much of it spent in international exile, and these experiences lent his writing a cosmopolitan edge they partake of a worldwide mythology. Now published in a brand new translation by the eminent Mohammed Shaheen.
