Muhammad Taha Al-Qaddal
Muhammad Taha Al-Qaddal, also transcribed as Muhammad Al-Gaddal (
Life and career
Al-Qaddal was born on December 12, 1951, in the village of Helweh,
Al-Qaddal was known for his
According to Sudanese literary critic Lemya Shammat,
"This won him a prominent seat among Sudanese poets, especially those who write in the Sudanese dialect and have enthralling oral poetic performances, such as Mahjoub Sharif, Himmaid, and Azhari. Al-Gaddal went on to make an enormous contribution to Sudanese poetry, helping shape a poetic tradition that keenly digs into the challenges and sufferings of everyday life and gives voice to the neglected, disadvantaged, and downtrodden."[4]
In an article for ArabLit magazine, Sudanese translator and literary critic Adil Babikir discussed Al-Qaddal's modern version of the Bedouin-style musdar, "a long poem that describes the poet’s journey to his beloved". Babikir further commented on Al-Qaddal "for his trailblazing role in taking traditional Bedouin poetry to new levels and establishing it firmly as a medium for addressing the themes of modern life." The following excerpt of one of Al-Qaddal's poems in Babikir's translation creates "an atmosphere of rage and tension":[2]
In the laps of compassionate mothers,
I was cradled and cuddled.
Now in the prime of youth,
in the throes of a paralyzing grief, I’m strained.
Oh skin of mine;
Oh sour grief:
Get out of me.
Al-Qaddal died on July 4, 2021, at the age of seventy from symptoms of cancer, in Al-Amal Hospital in Doha, Qatar.[5]
Legacy
On 22 October 2021, the 16th Khartoum International Book Fair was launched, but came to a premature end a few days later, due to the
See also
References
- ^ "Who is the Sudanese poet Muhammad Taha Al-Qaddal, who died in Doha?". primetimezone.com. 2021-07-05. Retrieved 2021-09-01.
- ^ a b Babikir, Adil (2023-08-04). "Al-Gaddal: a Revolutionary Brand of Bedouin Poetry". ArabLit & ArabLit Quarterly. Retrieved 2023-08-06.
- ^ "Culture of Sudan". Fanack.com. Retrieved 2021-09-01.
- ^ Shammat, Lemya (2021-07-15). "Sudan Says Farewell to Two Greats: Poet Mohammed Taha al-Gaddal and Short-story Writer Eisa Al-Hilo". ArabLit & ArabLit Quarterly. Retrieved 2021-09-01.
- ^ "السودان يودع "القدال" ثالث شعرائه الملهمين". سكاي نيوز عربية (in Arabic). 2021-07-05. Retrieved 2021-09-01.
- ^ Shammat, Lemya (2021-11-11). "On the Suspended 2021 Khartoum International Book Fair". ARABLIT & ARABLIT QUARTERLY. Retrieved 2021-11-11.
Further reading
- Babikir, Adil (ed.) (2019). Modern Sudanese Poetry: An Anthology. Lincoln, NE, USA. ISBN 978-1-4962-1563-5
External links
- Poem Om Al Nas (The Mother of the People) spoken by Muhammad Taha Al-Qaddal, and interpreted by Sudanese musicians on YouTube
- Video of memorial concert for Muhammad Taha Al-Qaddal with Igd al-Jallad and other Sudanese artists
