Hafez Ibrahim
Hafez Ibrahim (Arabic: حافظ إبراهيم, Ḥafiẓ Ibrāhīm) (1871–1932) was known as the Poet of the Nile, and sometimes the Poet of the People, as his writings were widely revered by ordinary Egyptians. His poetry was often about subjects with which the majority of Egyptians were familiar, such as poverty and the politics of foreign occupation. He was one of several Egyptian poets that revived Arabic poetry during the latter half of the 19th century. While still using the classical Arabic system of meter and rhyme, these poets wrote to express new ideas and feelings unknown to the classical poets. Hafez is noted for writing poems on political and social commentary.
He was born on a ship floating in the Nile near Dairout, which is a city in Asyut District. His father was Egyptian, and his mother was Turkish. Both died when he was young. Before his mother died, she brought him to Cairo. There, he lived with his poor uncle, a government engineer. His Uncle later moved to Tanta, where Hafez went to school. Hafez was touched by his uncle's poverty; after a time, he left his uncle. ِ After this, Hafez spent some time living on the Tanta streets. He eventually ended up in the office of Muhammed Abu Shadi, who was one of the 1919 revolution leaders.
Hafez Ibrahim is quoted of saying: “When you educate a woman, you create a nation.”
Works
Many poems were written by Hafez, for example:
- Albasūka al-dimāʾ fawq al-dimāʾ, ألبسوك الدماء فوق الدماء (They've dressed you in blood upon blood).[1]
- Yā sayyidī wa imāmī, يا سيدي و إمامي (O master and imam).[1]
- Shakartu jamīl ṣunʿikum, شكرت جميل صنعكم (I've thanked your favor).[1]
- Maṣr tatakallam ʿan nafsihā, مصر تتكلم عن نفسها (Egypt talks about herself).[1]
- Lī kasāʾ anʿam bihi min kasāʾ, لي كساء أنعم به من كساء (I've a dress, and what an excellent dress).[1]
- Qul li-l-raʾīs adāma Allah dawlatahu,قل للرئيس أدام الله دولته (Tell the President that God has extended the life of his state).[1]
- Translation of Les Misérables by Victor Hugo, 1903[2]
External Sources
A. Hourani, 'A History of the Arab Peoples'(1991); (page 305) I notified publisher (Warner Books) regarding inaccurate date of death—listed as "1912," when it should read "1932," as was correctly noted in Wikipedia and Encyclopædia Britannica.
References
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Arabic Wikisource has original text related to this article: |
- Hourani, Albert. A History of the Arab Peoples. New York: Warner Books, 1991. ISBN 0-446-39392-4.