This book presents a critical study of five poetry collections by the Iraqi poet Hatif Janabi (Hātif Janābī): Farādīs, ayā’il wa ‘asākir (Paradises, Deer, and Soldiers, four poetry collections in one, Damascus 1998), Raġba bayna ġaymatayn (A Desire Between Two Clouds, Beirut 2009), Maw‘id ma‘a šafrat as-sikkīn (An Appointment with a Knife’s Blade, Beirut 2012), Iḏā daẖalta baytanā fa-satuqabbil qadamayka al-‘ataba (If You Enter Our Home, the Threshold Will Kiss Your Feet, Baghdad 2014), and Walīmat al-asmāk (Fish Banquet, Baghdad 2017).

This study reveals important aspects of the poetic achievement of Hatif Janabi – the son of the Arab environment and its ancient culture, and at the same time the companion of Polish culture, which is distinguished among European cultures by its unique Slavic character. The reasons behind the choice of Janabi’s poetic works as the material of this book are manifold. The most important among them is that the experience of this poet was determined by being born on the border of two very different worlds into a life scattered between two foreignness: the alienation of self and the isolation of exile. This wealth of experience is almost unique in terms of its identification with the two civilizations that are far apart in their sociocultural formation from one another, to say the least. Nonetheless, Janabi is able to combine these opposing backgrounds, supporting their strong commonalities with his comprehensive human outlook.

Janabi’s texts attracted the attention of more than a few Arab and Polish readers, translators, and researchers, resulting in numerous translations and some critical studies. However, these works remained partial and did not sufficiently encompass the poet’s divergent world. They are separate articles limited to the study of one of his works, or one collection of his poetry. It should be noted here that the researcher and academic professor Adnan Abbas (‘Adnān ‘Abbās), issued a valuable monograph in Arabic, entitled Faḍā’āt wa aškāl wa afkār muḥtadima fī (Walīmat al-asmāk) li-Hātif Janābī (Intensive Spaces, Forms and Ideas in the “Fish Banquet” of Hatif Janabi). It was devoted to studying the collection Walīmat al-asmāk (Fish Banquet), and analysing the content and form of each poem in it from different aspects.