Legendary Lebanese poet dies at 102
Author: Al-Hayat (Pan Arab)Posted December 1, 2014
Said Aql [who died Nov. 28 at 102] almost lived through the entire 20th century. He was an ever-innovating classic poet whose poems always included Arabic prosody and the aesthetics of poetry, which are celebrated by the legacy of Arab ancestry. Aql was a great poet and he was undoubtedly the last classical legend left, after the departure of the pioneers of the Renaissance. He created a revolution in acrostic poems and in the poetic Arabic language, whose secrets he understood and experienced at an early stage, allowing him to mold it like pure gold in the hands of a skilled jeweler.
Aql, also known as the author of "Cadmus," lived within and beyond the 20th century, as he was not affected by either its cultural and poetic revolutions nor the wars and tragedies in the region. He was not interested in modernity and insisted that poetic prose were not poems. He was a very self-sufficient poet, happy with his authentic taste which has long fed from the roots of the Abbasi poetry, the Quran, Nahj al-Balagha and several other works of literary heritage. This is not to mention the influence of classical French poetry, which inspired him to enthusiastically write perfectly composed poems in French. Some of his last poems were published in two collections, "Sparks" and "Carving in Light" in 2000. Readers and followers were surprised by this publication because of its Arabic morphology, in which he regained his so-called poetic virility combining heroism and the clash of swords. In these two collections, Aql proved that he was an Arabic language poet par excellence. Despite his call to adopt the spoken Lebanese language and writing it in Latin letters [rather than Arabic script], this project failed to receive broad acclaim.
Aql was known as Lebanon’s poet and he perfectly played the role of the poet who preaches about his homeland, the land of cedars and Phoenicia, the home of civilizations, heroes and legends. He wrote many texts in this context, including his famous book "Loubnan in Haka’" ("If Lebanon Were to Speak"). But Said Aql’s Lebanon was neither realistic nor real. His Lebanon was perfect, legendarily and exaggerated. Aql’s vision of Lebanon was a matter of dispute and controversy between him and a large segment of the Lebanese people, who disagreed with him about the nation’s identity and history. He never [paid much attention to] his opponents or the critics who began political and ideological campaigns against him. He never backed down from his Lebanese principles, with the exception of particular positions he had taken by the beginning of the civil war, which were described as "chauvinistic" by some.
Many of Aql’s fans wished that he had not got into politics and sank into its mud. A Lebanese poet elevated by the Arab language and poetry to the highest ranks of beauty and greatness is far more important than [one who has] come down from the pedestal and into the maze of Lebanese politics. Lebanon, the dream, cannot but remain a dream in the poet’s imagination because the reality of Lebanon is a whole different matter. Lebanon for "Cadmus" is a fiction, a Lebanon written in beautiful poems that emerging from the deep within. However, it was difficult for a poet like Aql to remain on the sidelines of politics although he knew that his political ideas would have a high cost and be controversial, especially among his Arab opponents.
Aql was a unique poet who wrote plays and numerous poems in both classical and colloquial Arabic. He is a poet so great that he cannot be classified — classical and neo-classical, symbolic and Parnassian, he was a rational romantic, always in his own way. He could also be lyrical without any pain or sorrow. It is known that he was never a fan of sad poetry, but always tended to opt for joyful writing. However, Aql managed to be all these poets and none of them at the same time. ... The poet who wrote "Rindalah" left an impact on the poets of his generation and of generations to come. The poets of the first generation of Arab novelty had to face his poetry and try to impose the revolution. However, Aql created his own novelty, a renaissance novelty, both musical and rhythmic, a classical novelty of order, creativity and metaphors.
He sparked innovation in the Arabic poem by purifying the language. He molded the poetic prose and rhymes and tended to adopt short verses, mixing between different rhythms in one poem.
Aql was the poet of glory and greatness, the poet of joy and happiness, the poet of tranquility and salvation, the poet of platonic courting and of pure love. He wrote about women as lovers, sisters and mothers and never adopted erotic poetry. Perhaps therein lays the uniqueness and qualities of courtly poetry from the poet who wrote the most important collections of "Rindalah" and "Ajmal Minki? La!" ("More Beautiful than You? No")
The funeral procession to mark his death is scheduled for Tuesday [Dec. 2] at 11:30 a.m. from St. George Maronite Cathedral in Beirut. His body will then be buried in his hometown of Zahle.
Aql was known as Lebanon’s poet and he perfectly played the role of the poet who preaches about his homeland, the land of cedars and Phoenicia, the home of civilizations, heroes and legends. He wrote many texts in this context, including his famous book "Loubnan in Haka’" ("If Lebanon Were to Speak"). But Said Aql’s Lebanon was neither realistic nor real. His Lebanon was perfect, legendarily and exaggerated. Aql’s vision of Lebanon was a matter of dispute and controversy between him and a large segment of the Lebanese people, who disagreed with him about the nation’s identity and history. He never [paid much attention to] his opponents or the critics who began political and ideological campaigns against him. He never backed down from his Lebanese principles, with the exception of particular positions he had taken by the beginning of the civil war, which were described as "chauvinistic" by some.
Many of Aql’s fans wished that he had not got into politics and sank into its mud. A Lebanese poet elevated by the Arab language and poetry to the highest ranks of beauty and greatness is far more important than [one who has] come down from the pedestal and into the maze of Lebanese politics. Lebanon, the dream, cannot but remain a dream in the poet’s imagination because the reality of Lebanon is a whole different matter. Lebanon for "Cadmus" is a fiction, a Lebanon written in beautiful poems that emerging from the deep within. However, it was difficult for a poet like Aql to remain on the sidelines of politics although he knew that his political ideas would have a high cost and be controversial, especially among his Arab opponents.
Aql was a unique poet who wrote plays and numerous poems in both classical and colloquial Arabic. He is a poet so great that he cannot be classified — classical and neo-classical, symbolic and Parnassian, he was a rational romantic, always in his own way. He could also be lyrical without any pain or sorrow. It is known that he was never a fan of sad poetry, but always tended to opt for joyful writing. However, Aql managed to be all these poets and none of them at the same time. ... The poet who wrote "Rindalah" left an impact on the poets of his generation and of generations to come. The poets of the first generation of Arab novelty had to face his poetry and try to impose the revolution. However, Aql created his own novelty, a renaissance novelty, both musical and rhythmic, a classical novelty of order, creativity and metaphors.
He sparked innovation in the Arabic poem by purifying the language. He molded the poetic prose and rhymes and tended to adopt short verses, mixing between different rhythms in one poem.
Aql was the poet of glory and greatness, the poet of joy and happiness, the poet of tranquility and salvation, the poet of platonic courting and of pure love. He wrote about women as lovers, sisters and mothers and never adopted erotic poetry. Perhaps therein lays the uniqueness and qualities of courtly poetry from the poet who wrote the most important collections of "Rindalah" and "Ajmal Minki? La!" ("More Beautiful than You? No")
The funeral procession to mark his death is scheduled for Tuesday [Dec. 2] at 11:30 a.m. from St. George Maronite Cathedral in Beirut. His body will then be buried in his hometown of Zahle.
Read more: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/culture/2014/12/lebanon-poet-said-akl-dies.html#ixzz4EB7TRK3E
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