TRIBUTE: Iconic Lebanese poet Said Akl dies at 102

(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — Iconic Lebanese poet Said Akl died on Friday at the age of 102.

Akl was born in 1912 in the Bekaa town of Zahle, and quit school at age 15 to help his family after financial difficulties. He later pursued studies in literature in the 1930s after moving to Beirut.

Famous for his radical Lebanese nationalism, Akl, also known as the “Little Poet,” promoted the use of Lebanese dialect written in modified Roman script rather than the modern standard Arabic and alphabet.

He was defined by his Phoenician-centered nationalism, which made him popular among many Lebanese and controversial among others.1660679_757187717650139_1431484872538884524_n

After having left the Syrian Social Nationalist Party, Akl became one of the leaders of the Guardians of the Cedars, a radical nationalist political party created during the Lebanese Civil War which welcomed the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon, seeing it as a golden opportunity for forcing Palestinians out of Lebanon.

Although mostly known for his poetry, the deceased writer was also a journalist and wrote for several newspapers such as Al-Jarida, Al-Sayyad, and had a column in Assafir in the 1990s.

Considered one of the most notable modern Lebanese poets, Akl wrote in Arabic and French. His poetical works include “The Jasmine Bells,” “Poems from Her Notebook,” “Like Pillars,” and “Carving in Light.”

Legendary Lebanese singer Fairouz sang more than a dozen of his poems such as “Roddani Ila Biladi” (Take Me Back to my Country), “Ghanaytu Mekka” (I sang to Mekka), “Ummi ya Malaki” (My Mother, My Angel), and “Kara’tu Majdaka” (I Read your Glory).

Akl wrote three plays in poetic form, “The Daughter of Jephthah,” “The Magdalena” and “Cadmus,” and also published prose that includes “Loubnan in Haka” (If Lebanon Were to Speak).

His funeral will take place on Tuesday, December 2 at the Saint Georges Cathedral in downtown Beirut at 11:30 am, according to Notre Dame University.

RELATED: Beirut street named after Said Akl. Read more.

Source: al-Akhbar English

Beirut street named after Said Akl

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(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — Marking his 103rd birthday, the Beirut Municipality named a street after famed Lebanese poet and writer Said Akl. The ceremony at the Sioufi Garden in Achrafieh unveiled the street and memorial plaque that read, “Said Akl Street, a century of giving, creativity, (and) honest nationalism.”109065381

Born in 1911 in the Bekaa town of Zahle, Akl was a staunch advocate of Lebanese nationalism and the Lebanese language.

Akl wrote plays, epics, lyrics, and poems starting in 1935, after his first theatrical work was published in Arabic.

“Said Akl paved roads for poetry, which he took to a whole new level,” Culture Minister Raymond Areiji said during the event. “He prides himself with Lebanon, he adored Damascus, he is the resistant fighter who taught us how to belong to Jerusalem. A hundred and three years of love, glory and worship of Lebanon. A hundred and three years, and he still produces poetry and writing.”

Akl was unable to attend the ceremony, but recorded an audio message saying he hopes to see Lebanon “return to its glory.”

Areiji also thanked Notre Dame University-Louaize and the Beirut Municipality for taking the initiative to honor the poet.

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