Renowned Poet Said Akl Passes Away at 102
Lebanese poet and writer Said Akl passed away at the age of 102, the National News Agency reported on Friday.
The funeral processions will be held on Tuesday at 11:30 am at the Saint George Cathedral in Downtown Beirut.
Akl was born in 1912 in the Bekaa town of Zahle.
He is considered one of the most important modern Lebanese poets. He was a staunch advocate of Lebanese identity and nationalism and the Lebanese language, designing a Latin-based "Lebanese alphabet" made up of 37 letters which he used to publish Yara (poetry) and Loubnan (newspaper).
He set up a prize in his name for outstanding talents. He has written many works on theology, patriotism, politics, philosophy, poetry and arts in general.
His poetical works include Rindala, Ajmalou Minki? La (More Beautiful than You? No), Ajrass Al Yasameen (The Jasmine Bells), Kitabou Al Ward (The Book of Roses), Doulza, Qassa'ed min Daftariha (Poems from Her Notebook), Kama Al A'mida (Like Pillars), Nahtoun fi Al Daw' (Carving in Light), Sharar (Sparks).
He has written three plays in poetic form: The Daughter of Jephthah, The Magdalena and Cadmus.
His published prose includes Loubnan in Haka (If Lebanon were to Speak).
He has also published a number of lectures and articles.
In July 2014 the Beirut Municipality named a street in one of its neighborhoods after Akl.
The memorial plaque read: "Said Akl Street, a century of giving, creativity, honest nationalism.”
over 10 years
RIP Said akl (one of few true Lebanese )
over 10 years
RIP ... Despite his flaws (and who does not have many), he was a towering Genius.
over 10 years
100+ it's sad rest in peace
over 10 years
Politics divides us, culture music and art unite us as we all mourn our greats, goes to show we are a people after all.
over 10 years
tu etais un grand homme de ce monde avec beaucoup d'ethique ,la moralite' etait un fait regulier de ta vie ,tu as toujours essaaye'd'elever l'esprit de l'homme vers des niveaux superieurs,,dans le sens que Dieu a voulu pour les siens.sans doute tu faisais honneur a la vie, chanceux ceux qui ont su apprecier ta grandeur la vie leur a donne' une immense recompense .pars dans le domaine ou ton esprit trouvera sa valeur labas tu saura en paix
over 10 years
Greetings my dear friends,
Said Akl was no doubt an icon in the Lebanese poetry and culture. Through out his life he strongly advocated the Latin inscriptions instead of the conventional Arabic writings. His passing today will leave an irreplaceable void in the Lebanese intellectual life. RIP Mr. AKL.
over 10 years
the poet claiming that Lebanon was not arab and should replace its language with latin letters the turkish way... one denying its roots is hardly called a poet.... but a lost soul....
over 10 years
RIP flamethrower
over 10 years
poor FT denying others to have an opinion different from his highness ...your opinion is the true one right? all others just have to be insulted by you...
typical sign of an ignorant fool and idiot... tfeh 3aleyk
over 10 years
RIP, he is with his Lord now. But you are right he was very political and racist especially in the 80s.
over 10 years
Said Akl has passed away a lover spurned.
He loved Arabs, Islam, Syria and Palestine passionately. He gave them his soul in some of the most beautiful Arabic poems in the 20th century.
But after the defeats, cruelty, ignorance, violence, sectarianism and self-serving instincts of Arab politics, he felt betrayed.
He retreated to his Lebanese castle. He retreated behind high intellectual walls to protect himself and his broken heart. Lebanon became the promised land of his exodus from Arab affairs. He wanted to shield it from the disappointments, violence and barbarism of the Middle East.
Although he was lost and bitter and espoused an extreme form of Lebanese nationalism, he was never a sectarian.
over 10 years
He was a Lebanese icon, a heroic Arab bard who retreated from the broken and degenerate Arab polity, a Lebanese nationalist who saw his Lebanon crumble.
The truth of Said Akl was in his blue eyes. Through them you could see the purity of his romantic soul where absolutes reigned.
His perfectionist tendencies to idolize causes, ideas, people and leaders always led to disappointment but his prose was perfection and that never disappointed.
over 10 years
Said Akl has passed away a lover spurned.
He loved Arabs, Islam, Syria and Palestine passionately. He gave them his soul in some of the most beautiful Arabic poems in the 20th century.
But after the defeats, cruelty, ignorance, violence, sectarianism and self-serving instincts of Arab politics, he felt betrayed.
He retreated to his Lebanese castle. He retreated behind high intellectual walls to protect himself and his broken heart. Lebanon became the promised land of his exodus from Arab affairs. He wanted to shield it from the disappointments, violence and barbarism of the Middle East.
Although he was lost and bitter and espoused an extreme form of Lebanese nationalism, he was never a sectarian.
over 10 years
He was a Lebanese icon, a heroic Arab bard who retreated from the broken and degenerate Arab polity, a Lebanese nationalist who saw his Lebanon crumble.
The truth of Said Akl was in his blue eyes. Through them you could see the purity of his romantic soul where absolutes reigned.
His perfectionist tendencies to idolize causes, ideas, people and leaders always led him to disappointments but his verses were perfection and they will never disappoint.
over 10 years
they usually ho in threes, so after sabah and akl who's next
over 10 years
No 1 Patriot. I truly love him. May his soul rest in the hands of God surrounded by the light of His Love.
over 10 years
RIP Sa3id Akl.
over 10 years
Lebanon lost his cultural identity, rest in peace
over 10 years
Rest in peace great poet. His poetry will live on.
over 10 years
so will yours dear mystic@full.disclosure
over 10 years
the good die and aoun and his likes are alive. sickening
over 10 years
I would trade them all for ali barakat
over 10 years
Beethoven, Bach, Oum Koulthoum, Louis De Funes, John Wayne and Marlyn Monroe were Aounists, according to the Aoun cult worshippers.
They believe in the end of days, when Aoun will come back along with Jesus Christ and the Mehdi Al Mountazar, and will be reincarnated as President of Lebanon!
Rest in perfect peace Mr. Akl. It' is so sad, one by one Lebanon is losing its most important cultural foundations. Two days ago, our princess of hearts Sabah left us, before her the Cedar of Lebanon's mountains Wadih Safi left us, and before him, another great star of our little screens, Laila Karam. It's another sad day, because it's obvious that we are being left with truly mdiocre so-called singers like Haifa Wehbe, Ali El Dik, Nawal El Zoghbi and others not mentioned here. I think it's best we close our ears and just keep our eyes open for almost naked singers on stage.