Aḥmad Shawqī

Auteur

Aḥmad Shawqī was born in Cairo in 1868 and died there in 1932. Coming from a family of diverse origins (Arab, Kurdish, Turkish and Greek), he grew up in the entourage of the Khedivial Palace. Training After studying law in Cairo, he went to France, to Montpellier then to Paris, where he discovered European literature. Returning to Egypt, he became the official poet of the khedive's court. Exiled to Spain by the British during the First World War, he discovered the heritage of al-Andalus there, which inspired several of his poems. The poet Shawqī renewed classical Arabic poetry by keeping its traditional forms while addressing the subjects of his time: homeland, history, education, science. His collection al-Shawqiyyāt brings together his poems. His praises of the Prophet ﷺ, such as Nahj al-Burda (“On the Path of the Burda”) and al-Hamziyya al-nabawiyya, are part of the tradition of al-Būṣīrī and are sung throughout the Arab world. The playwright He was also one of the pioneers of Arabic verse theater, with plays like Maṣraʿ Kilyūbātrā (The Death of Cleopatra) and Majnūn Laylā. In 1927, Arab poets meeting in Cairo awarded him the title of Amīr al-shuʿarāʾ, “Prince of poets”. Photo: portrait of Aḥmad Shawqī.