Called 'a major innovator in his art form' by 'The New York Times', Baghdad-born poet Abdul Wahab Al-Bayati broke with over fifteen centuries of Arabic poetic tradition to write in free verse and became world famous in the process. 'Love, Death, and Exile: Poems Translated from Arabic' is a rare, bilingual facing-page edition in both the original Arabic text and a highly praised English translation by Bassam K. Frangieh, containing selections from eight of Al-Bayati's books of poetry. Forced to spend much of his life in exile from his native Iraq, Al-Bayati created poetry that is not only revolutionary and political, but also steeped in mysticism and allusion, moving and full of longing. This collection is a superb introduction to Al-Bayati, Arabic language, and Arabic literature and culture as well. On Al-Bayati's death in 1999, 'The New York Times' obituary quoted him as saying once that his many years of absence from his homeland had been a 'tormenting experience' that had great impact on his poetry. 'I always dream at night that I am in Iraq and hear its heart beating and smell its fragrance carried by the wind, especially after midnight when it's quiet'.