This extraordinary collection of poems from around the world—covering more than thirty centuries—celebrates the erotic spirit in all its forms, from the passion of sexual desire to the intense longing for spiritual union. Beginning with anonymous Egyptian love songs from the fifteenth century BCE and continuing up to works by some of today's finest poets, the book comprises poems from a broad range of cultural and spiritual traditions, including Greek and Roman erotica, ecstatic Sufi songs, Chinese elegies for lost lovers, and bawdy English satires. Included are erotic works by Sappho, Rumi, Petrarch, Shakespeare, and Whitman, as well as by contemporary poets such as Robert Creeley and Denise Levertov. Many of the poems are presented here in new translations by the editor.