Throughout his life, Nizar Qabbani was a prolific writer. This Syrian poet had dedicated his life to writing and produced some beautiful verses that are still admired throughout the Arab literary world. He began to communicate his emotions and thoughts via poetry at a young age. When his sister committed suicide, he was extremely wounded, but the cause behind it affected him even more. As a poet, he attempted to express his views on women’s rights through his poems. Almost all of his writings are dominated by feminism, and he portrays the situation of women in modern society extremely well. He had the bravery to present his ideology to society, even though it was daring and far ahead of its time. His support for women and the way he wrote his poems got him into a lot of trouble. This, however, did not put an end to his thoughts or modify the way he wrote. This writer has served as an ambassador for his country in a number of other countries. He eventually left his profession as a diplomat to devote his life to writing unique and remarkable works of literature. His poetry will live on in the hearts of literature lovers for many decades to come.
Childhood & Early Life
Nizar Qabbani was born on March 21, 1923, in Damascus, Syria, to a merchant family. His father, Tawfiq Qabbani, had a chocolate factory, and his great uncle, Ab Khall Qabbn, was an Arabian novelist.
Haifa and Wisal, as well as brothers Rashid, Sabah, and Mu’taz, were among his five siblings.
He attended the ‘National Scientific College School,’ which was owned by Ahmad Munif al-Aidi, a friend of his father, from 1930 until 1941.
He subsequently went on to study law at ‘Damascus University,’ which was previously known as ‘Syrian University.’ During his time here, he began writing poetry, and in 1944, he published his first collection of poems, ‘The Brunette Told Me.’
The Damascus society was divided by the subject of these poetry. These poems, however, were accepted by Education Minister Munir al-Ajlani, who was a friend of his father’s and a supporter of Qabbani. Nizar was also aided by this clergyman, who wrote the foreword to his book of poems.
Career of Nizar Qabbani
He served as an Ambassador for Syria’s Foreign Ministry in locations such as Cairo, Istanbul, Madrid, and London after receiving his L.L.B. from ‘Damascus University’ in 1945.
He wrote three critically recognized works of Arabic literature between 1948 and 1950. Qabbani began with the poem “Childhood of a Breast” and then moved on to the poems “Samba” and “You Are Mine.”
Nizar Qabbani’s book, ‘Poems by Nizar Qabbani,’ was published in 1956 and is considered one of the poet’s most important works.
He was named Vice-Secretary of the Chinese Embassies in the United Arab Republic in 1959. (UAR).
Nizar wrote three poems in the 1960s: ‘My Beloved,’ ‘Drawing with Words,’ and ‘Diary of an Indifferent Woman.’
He resigned as an ambassador to several countries in 1966, effectively ending his diplomatic career, and proceeded with his lyrical work.
In 1967, he established his own publishing business in Beirut, which he titled ‘Manshurat Nizar Qabbani.’ The Arabs lost the war to Israel in the ‘Arab-Israel War’ the same year, and this became one of Qabbani’s poems.
In the 1970s, he produced nine volumes of poems, including ‘Savage Poems,’ ‘Book of Love,’ ‘100 Love Letters,’ ‘Poems Against The Law,’ ‘To Beirut the Feminine,’ ‘With My Love,’ and others.
The 1980s were the poet’s most productive years, with over a dozen publications including ‘I Write the History of Woman Like So,’ ‘The Lover’s Dictionary,’ and ‘A Poem For Balqis,’ written in memory of his second wife, Balqis al-Rawi.
‘Love Does Not Stop at Red Lights,’ ‘Insane Poems,’ ‘Poems Inciting Anger,’ ‘Love Shall Remain My Lord,’ ‘The Trilogy of the Children of the Stones,’ ‘Secret Papers of a Karmathian Lover,’ ‘Biography of an Arab Executioner,’ ‘I Married You, Liberty!’, ‘A Match in My Hand, And
‘Do You Hear the Cry of My Sadness?’, ‘Marginal Notes on the Book of Defeat,’ ‘I’m One Man and you are a Tribe of Women,’ ‘Fifty Years of Praising Women,’ ‘Nizarian Variations of Arabic Maqam of Love,’ and ‘Alphabet of Jasmine’ were among Nizar’s early poetry.
Major Projects of Nizar Qabbani
Since her attempt to disobey the conventional responsibility of marrying against her will failed, his sister committed suicide. This episode had a profound impression on young Qabbani, and is said to be the inspiration for his feminist poetry.
‘Poems by Nizar Qabbani,’ published in 1956, is considered one of his best literary works. These poems support and respect women’s perspectives while simultaneously speaking out against masculine stereotypes.
Personal History and Legacy
Zahra Aqbiq, one of Qabbani’s relatives, was his first wife. The couple had two children, Tawfiq, a son, and Hadba, a girl.
In 1973, this poet married a woman named Balqis al-Rawi for the second time. He had met her at a poetry reading in Baghdad. She was killed in a shelling in Beirut in 1981 during the ‘Lebanese Civil War.’
After the death of his second wife, the poet was devastated and moved out of Beirut. He then traveled to cities such as Paris and Geneva before settling in London.
This brilliant scholar was said to have been ill for approximately a year before dying of heart failure on April 30, 1998.
Estimated Net Worth
Nizar is one of the wealthiest poets and one of the most well-known. Nizar Qabbani’s net worth is estimated to be $1.5 million, according to Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider.
Trivia
His works have been translated into English and Nepali, among other languages.