Mohamed Al-Maghout

Mohamed Al-Maghout Poems

Mohamed Al-Maghout Biography

Muhammed al-Maghut (1934- April 3, 2006) (Arabic: محمد الماغوط‎) was a Syrian writer and poet. He was born in Salamiya, Syria. Muhammad Maghout was credited as the father of the Arabic free verse poetry, liberating the Arabic poems from the traditional form and revolutionizing the structure of the poem.[by whom?] He wrote for theater, TV and cinema. Maghut's work combined satire with descriptions of social misery and malaise, illustrating what he viewed as an ethical decline among rulers in the region. Some of his themes included the problems of injustice and totalitarian governments. He co-operated with Syrian actors Dureid Lahham and Nihad Qal'i to produce some of the region's most popular and acclaimed theatrical works, such as Kasak ya Watan (Toast to the homeland) and Ghorbeh (Estrangement). Al-Maghut was also known for his book "I will betray my homeland", a collection of essays. Al-Maghut died at the age of 72 in April 2006.)

The Best Poem Of Mohamed Al-Maghout

From The Doorstep To Heaven

Now,
With the sad rain
Drenching my sad face,
I dream of a ladder of dust,
Collected from hunched backs
And hands clinging onto knees,
To mount to highest heaven
And discover
What becomes of our prayers and sighs.
O my beloved,
All the prayers and sighs,
All the laments and cries for help,
Springing from
Millions of lips and hearts,
Through thousands of years and centuries,
Must be gathered somewhere in heaven,
Like clouds.
And maybe
These words of mine
Are now close to those of Jesus.
So let us await the tears of heaven,
O beloved.

Translated by May Jayyusi and John Heath

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