They considered it a departure from the rhetoric of Al-Jaahiz, al-Hariri and Abd al-Hamid Al-Katib. The language in Margin Notes on the Book of Defeat was that of 'hot' journalism, and it shocked people the first time they read the poem. The influences that English had on my collection Poems and other collections published after it, like My Beloved and Drawing with Words, were important and relate to the language's logic and the manner of interacting with it. (…) Namely, to refrain from all of the useless, linguistic nonsense that tarnishes the Arabic poem's body, making it bloated with thousands of superfluous words and phrases. I tried applying English's legislative principles to my poetry. I benefited a lot from this economical language that knows neither foolishness nor excess. In brief, English is the language of economy and legislation it conveys what it intends to without elaboration, nor with any undesired additions or embellishments. What it may lack in harmonic rhythm, which Italian has, it makes up for it with precision and clarity, as well as its ability to respond to the demands of a given moment, commensurate with Arabic rhetoric's expressiveness.Įnglish is like a comfortable chair, which is not as concerned with its external aesthetic as it is with the strength of its wood and the quality of its upholstery. English is the language of reality more than entertainment. English has a completely different character, and its features are of an entirely different kind. This segment gives us a master's appraisal of the linguistic and artistic value of these two languages as well as an interesting view of some of the issues that have been raised about Arabic in the contemporary world, by Arabs and non-Arabs alike.Īs for the English language, I learned it in its homeland during my tenure as the Syrian ambassador to London from 1955 to 1956. Today's post is a translation of a portion of Qabbani's memoirs where he discusses the differences between Arabic and English, and the latter's impact on his poetry. Additionally, he is referred to as 'the Women's Poet' for his romanticism and championing of Arab women. Qabbani is known for the simplicity and beauty of his language, which elegantly touches on themes as diverse as love and Arab Nationalism.
He went on to publish many more collections during and after his service in the Syrian Foreign Ministry. Syrian poet Nizar Qabbani is one of the most beloved literary figures in the Arab World.īorn in Damascus in the 1920s, Qabbani published his first collection of poems in 1944 while a student at Damascus University. The poem, "A Day with Come", by Nizar Qabbani.
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