Subscribe to Print Edition | Sun., August 10, 2008 Av 9, 5768 | | Israel Time: 03:15 (EST+7)
Haaretz israel news English
web haaretz.com
  Back to Homepage
Rosner's Domain
Diplomacy
Defense Jewish World Opinion National
Print Edition
Car Rental
Books Haaretz Magazine Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File
Last update - 23:27 09/08/2008
Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish dies after heart surgery
By The Associated Press
Tags: poetry, PLO, palestinians 

Mahmoud Darwish, the world's most recognized Palestinian poet, whose prose gave voice to the Palestinian experience of exile, occupation and infighting, died on Saturday in Houston, Texas. He was 67.

The predominant Palestinian poet, whose work has been translated into more than 20 languages and won numerous international awards, died following open heart surgery at a Houston hospital, said Nabil Abu Rdeneh, a spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Born to a large Muslim family in historical Palestine - now modern-day Israel - he emerged as a Palestinian cultural icon who eloquently described his people's struggle for independence, and as a vocal critic of both Israel and the Palestinians. He gave voice to the Palestinian dreams of statehood, crafted their declaration of independence and helped forge a Palestinian national identity.
Advertisement
He felt the pulse of Palestinians in beautiful poetry. He was a mirror of the Palestinian society, said Ali Qleibo, a Palestinian anthropologist and lecturer in cultural studies at Al Quds University in Jerusalem.

Darwish first gained prominence in the 1960s with the publication of his first poetry collection, Bird without Wings. It included a poem ("Identity Card) that defiantly spoke in the first person of an Arab man giving his identity number - a common practice among Palestinians when dealing with Israeli authorities and Arab governments - and vowing to return to his land.

Many of his poems have been put into music - most notably Rita, Birds of Galilee and I yearn for my mother's bread - and have become anthems for at least two generations of Arabs.

He wrote another 21 collections, the last in 2008, The Impression of Butterflies.

Qleibo described Darwish's poetry as the easy impossible, for Darwish'sQbility to condense the Palestinian narrative into simple, evocative language - breaking away from the more traditional heavy, emotive and rhythmic verse of other Arab poets.

Darwish wrote the Palestinian Declaration of Independence in 1988, read by the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat when he unilaterally declared statehood. The declaration was symbolic and had no concrete significance.

Darwish's influence was keenly felt among Palestinians, serving as a powerful voice for many.

"He started out as a poet of resistance and then he became a poet of conscience," said Palestinian lawmaker Hanan Ashrawi. "He embodied the best in Palestinians ... even though he became iconic he never lost his sense of humanity. We have lost part of our essence, the essence of the Palestinian being."

Last year, Darwish recited a poem damning the deadly infighting between rival Palestinian groups Hamas and Fatah, describing it as a public attempt at suicide in the streets.

Darwish joined the Israeli Communist Party after high school and began writing poems for leftist newspapers.

"When we think of Darwish ... he is our heart, and our tongue," said Issam Makhoul, an Arab lawmaker and veteran member of the Israeli Communist Party,

Darwish left Israel in the early 1970s to study in the former Soviet Union, and from there he traveled to Egypt and Lebanon. He joined the Palestine Liberation Organization but resigned in 1993 in protest over the interim peace accords that Arafat, signed with Israel. Darwish moved to the West Bank city of Ramallah in 1996.

His work is widely admired on the Arab and Palestinian street. In Israel, it evokes different feelings.

In 2000, then education minister Yossi Sarid suggested including some of Darwish's poems in Israel's high school curriculum, but then prime minister Ehud Barak overruled him, saying Israel was not ready yet for his ideas in the school system.

In 1988, a Darwish poem, Passing in Passing Words, was read by then Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir inside Israel's parliament as an example of the Palestinians' unwillingness to live alongside Jews. The poem suggested that Darwish called for Jews to leave the region.

Adel Usta, a specialist on Darwish's poetry, said the poem was misunderstood and mistranslated.

"He created a national Palestinian identity that no other poet could achieve," Usta said.

Darwish married and divorced twice. He does not have any children.

Siham Daoud, a fellow poet and longtime friend of Darwish, said he traveled to a hospital in Houston, Texas, ten days ago for the surgery and asked not to be resuscitated if it did not succeed. She said Darwish had a history of heart problems, and has been operated on twice in the past.

Akram Haniyeh, Editor-in-Chief of the Al Ayyam newspaper and a close friend of Darwish, was by Darwish's bedside in Houston. He said Darwish underwent an operation on Wednesday and there were complications.

Related articles:
  • Palestinian poet: History laughs at both victim and aggressor
  • Renowned Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish to attend recital in Israel
  • Palestinian national poet Mahmoud Darwish set to return to Haifa for first time since 1971
    • Bookmark to del.icio.us  
     
    Going for the gold
    Israel's athletes made a forceful debut on the opening day of the Olympic Games.
    Cooking vs. driving
    As Ramadan nears, Hamas bans the use of cooking gas to fuel vehicles in the Gaza Strip.
      1.   R.I.P Mahmoud Darwish 20:29  |  MOE 09/08/08
      2.   Sadness 21:29  |  Ed 09/08/08
      3.   Rest In Peace 22:22  |  Hirz 09/08/08
      4.   What happened to Darwish`s village? 22:50  |  Khallid 09/08/08
      5.   RIP - we just lost another sane voice 23:11  |  Israeli 09/08/08
      6.   You will be missed 23:11  |  Tareq 09/08/08
      7.   Poet Darwish 23:56  |  Elias 09/08/08
      8.   According to Al Jazeera 00:31  |  Jean D`Nalgar 10/08/08
      9.   Mahmoud Darwish 00:47  |  L Klahr 10/08/08
      10.   Rest in Peace 01:09  |  Mustafa 10/08/08
      11.   God Rest Your Beautiful Soul 01:32  |  NEJ 10/08/08
      12.   Darwish on mules 01:53  |  Jim Holstun 10/08/08
      13.   RIP 02:18  |  Sal 10/08/08
      14.   R.I.P Mahmound Darwish 03:02  |  Palestinian in UK 10/08/08
     Read & React
    Israel slams Turkey over Ahmadinejad plan to visit
    Responses: 117
    Israel: We'll hold Lebanon responsible for Hezbollah's actions
    Responses: 278
    PRC: Open crossings within 3 weeks or we'll end Gaza truce
    Responses: 73
    Ze'ev Sternhall: Burying the Jewish state between Hebron and Yitzhar
    Responses: 86
    Ultra-Orthodox 'Modesty Guard' suspected in beating of J'lem woman
    Responses: 107
    Rosner's Domain
    The reassuring candidacy of Eric Cantor (WTR)
    Congress likely to see record number of Jewish legislators
    Israel looking for leader and agenda, but finds neither
    On Peter Rodman, Lebanon and Syria


    More Headlines
    01:23 Officials: Olmert failed to dispel graft suspicions in 5th round of questioning
    02:07 Putin defends Russia's Ossetia incursion, slams Georgia over 'genocide'
    00:09 Putin to Peres: Russia doesn't want a nuclear armed Iran
    00:15 Beijing Olympics / Israel shows its mettle even without a medal
    02:46 As Hollywood launches movie about Jewish partisans, some in Poland cry murder
    02:57 Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish dies at 67
    20:33 Gaza militants fire Qassam rocket into western Negev
    20:51 Diplomats: Syria blocks new visit by nuclear watchdog
    20:35 INTERVIEW / Top U.S. general lays foundation for Palestinian state
    07:46 EU tightens sanctions against Iran over nuke program
    03:28 Anti-Semitic graffiti prompts Sarkozy's son to take legal action
    17:29 As Ramadan nears, Hamas bans use of cooking gas to fuel cars in Gaza
    22:38 VIDEO / Ultra-Orthodox 'Modesty Guard' suspected of beating Jerusalem woman
    Previous Editions
    Special Offers
    Advertisement
    Fattal Hotel Chain
    Perfectly located hotels on best resorts of Israel.
    Isaac Maimon at Dreamshoppe
    Special summer sale. Make an offer now. You will be surprised.
    MBA in Israel in English
    APPLY NOW! Limited spaces available
    Israel's Premier Real Estate Website
    www. israel-property.com
    Yossi Avrahami Presents:
    New Luxurious Projects in North Tel Aviv & Eilat
    Your vacation starts here
    Israel Travel Center Guaranteed Lowest Rates
    Hebrew Summer courses
    From $39.95
    ISRAEL BONDS Build Israel
    Israel bonds - a multi-purpose way to celebrate Israel's 60th
    Eldan Rent a Car
    Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on all online reservations
    Junkyard
    Junk a car - get free towing nationwide and a tax-deductible receipt
    Home | TV | Print Edition | Diplomacy | Opinion | Arts & Leisure | Sports | Jewish World | Underground | Site rules |
    Real Estate in Israel | Travel to Israel with Haaretz | Hotels Israel | Restaurants Israel | Tourist attractions Israel | Shops Israel
    birthright Israel | Search engine marketing
    Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, offers real-time breaking news, opinions and analysis from Israel and the Middle East. Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.
    © Copyright  Haaretz. All rights reserved