The search for the origins of a forgotten sacred poem is at the heart of this novel about a modern Brazilian poet of Lebanese descent who travels to the Middle East to uncover the truth about what he believes may be part of a group of pre-Islamic poems. Following the model of "A Thousand and One Nights," the novel is a quest through time and language that recounts many of the poet's experiences as he travels through the deserts of Arabia in search of a beautiful woman whose beauty remains hidden until the circularity of the riddle of Qaf is solved.