Zaid Al-Harb
Encyclopedia
Zaid Abdullah Al-Harb (Kuwait
1887 - February 21, 1972) was a Kuwaiti poet
and he is considered one of the most well known poets in Kuwaiti literature.
area (Arabic: منطقة شرق). He grew up in his grandfather's house, and he worked with his uncle
s as a sailor
then as a Nokhitha (Arabic: نوخذة). Al-Harb worked in trade and traveled to India
, Yemen
and the East coast of Africa
.
He participated in the battle of Al-Jahra
(Arabic: معركة الجهراء) in 1920 defending Kuwait. In 1952, Zaid lost his sight
.
. In his poems he had described the struggle and the tough life of Kuwaiti divers
who were diving for pearls as the main source of their income
before producing the oil in Kuwait.
و القيض كله نجالب الغوص بحبال *** ماي جما الزرنيخ و زاده نهيبه
و الغيص يشكي الضيم من بحر الاهوال *** و السيب واقف دوم مثل النصيبه
و يركض على المجداف لي صاح (يا مال) *** و نوم الملا بالليل ما نهتني به
و رحنا السفر و الموج يا جنه جبال *** في غبة فيها المنايا قريبة
لا حولنا ديرة و لا حولنا يال *** و لا من ذرا بالضيق نبنلتجي به
إلا سواد الليل من دونهم حال *** و بحر كسيف دوم تطبخ غبيبة
All the summer we struggle diving with ropes ** The water is like hell
The diver is complaining about the terrifying sea ** And the rope man is always standing like a wall
And he runs to the oar as he yell (Ya mal) ** And we don't know how is the sleep at night
We went to travel, and the billows are like mountains ** In the darkness the death is very close
No country around us, neither a coast ** And no one we could run to
Except the darkness of night that falls on them ** And an unknown dark sea
His Daughter Ghanima
(Arabic: غنيمة) -Also a poet- has collected his poems and introduced it in a book in 1977 published in Kuwait.
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
1887 - February 21, 1972) was a Kuwaiti poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
and he is considered one of the most well known poets in Kuwaiti literature.
Biography
Al-Harb was born in Kuwait 1887 in the SharqSharq
Sharq or Sharqi is short form of Mashriq meaning East. It may refer to:* Mashriq, , referring to the region of Arabic-speaking countries to the east of Egypt...
area (Arabic: منطقة شرق). He grew up in his grandfather's house, and he worked with his uncle
Uncle
An uncle is a type of familial relationship.Uncle may also refer to:* Uncle , by J. P. Martin* U.N.C.L.E., a fictional organization in the TV series The Man from U.N.C.L.E....
s as a sailor
Sailor
A sailor, mariner, or seaman is a person who navigates water-borne vessels or assists in their operation, maintenance, or service. The term can apply to professional mariners, military personnel, and recreational sailors as well as a plethora of other uses...
then as a Nokhitha (Arabic: نوخذة). Al-Harb worked in trade and traveled to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
and the East coast of Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
.
He participated in the battle of Al-Jahra
Al Jahra
Al Jahra is a city located north-west of Kuwait City in Kuwait . Al Jahra is the capital of the Al Jahra Governorate of Kuwait as well as the surrounding Al Jahra District which is agriculturally based. Encyclopædia Britannica recorded the population in 1980 as 67,311...
(Arabic: معركة الجهراء) in 1920 defending Kuwait. In 1952, Zaid lost his sight
Blindness
Blindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological or neurological factors.Various scales have been developed to describe the extent of vision loss and define blindness...
.
His works
He discussed the social and political life in Kuwait and the Arab worldArab world
The Arab world refers to Arabic-speaking states, territories and populations in North Africa, Western Asia and elsewhere.The standard definition of the Arab world comprises the 22 states and territories of the Arab League stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Arabian Sea in the...
. In his poems he had described the struggle and the tough life of Kuwaiti divers
Underwater diving
Underwater diving is the practice of going underwater, either with breathing apparatus or by breath-holding .Recreational diving is a popular activity...
who were diving for pearls as the main source of their income
Income
Income is the consumption and savings opportunity gained by an entity within a specified time frame, which is generally expressed in monetary terms. However, for households and individuals, "income is the sum of all the wages, salaries, profits, interests payments, rents and other forms of earnings...
before producing the oil in Kuwait.
و القيض كله نجالب الغوص بحبال *** ماي جما الزرنيخ و زاده نهيبه
و الغيص يشكي الضيم من بحر الاهوال *** و السيب واقف دوم مثل النصيبه
و يركض على المجداف لي صاح (يا مال) *** و نوم الملا بالليل ما نهتني به
و رحنا السفر و الموج يا جنه جبال *** في غبة فيها المنايا قريبة
لا حولنا ديرة و لا حولنا يال *** و لا من ذرا بالضيق نبنلتجي به
إلا سواد الليل من دونهم حال *** و بحر كسيف دوم تطبخ غبيبة
All the summer we struggle diving with ropes ** The water is like hell
The diver is complaining about the terrifying sea ** And the rope man is always standing like a wall
And he runs to the oar as he yell (Ya mal) ** And we don't know how is the sleep at night
We went to travel, and the billows are like mountains ** In the darkness the death is very close
No country around us, neither a coast ** And no one we could run to
Except the darkness of night that falls on them ** And an unknown dark sea
His Daughter Ghanima
Ghanima
This article is about a fictional character. For other uses of the term, see GhanimaGhanima Atreides is a fictional character from the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert...
(Arabic: غنيمة) -Also a poet- has collected his poems and introduced it in a book in 1977 published in Kuwait.