Ghattas Maqdasi Elias, the ‘Malphono,’ was one of the most important Syriac writers of the twentieth century and devoted much of his life to ensuring that classical Syriac remained a vibrant and living language. His poetry, it has been remarked, is reminiscent of that of Ephrem. For the lover of Syriac and Syriac poetry, therefore, this small book represents a special treat: a collection of twenty five of Elias’ poems are assembled and printed here. An introduction by Bishop Gregorios Yohanna Ibrahim offers biographical information about the life of the important figure Elias—his birth in Tur ‘Abdin, his time in Adana, Beirut, Damascus, Brazil, his activities in Aleppo. Elias’ life work was aimed at reviving, sustaining and promoting the Syriac language. This work represents one fruit of those ceaseless efforts.