Syrian Arab News Agency S A N A
Damascus, SANA- Just as a well needs water, and just as a weapon needs ammunition, writing also needs deep talent, passion, patience, and suffering, all of these factors appeared in the Syrian poet and writer, the most cynical and the greatest in pain (Muhammad Al-Maghout).
Al-Maghout is considered one of the most prominent poets of the prose poem or the free poem in the Arab world. He was born in Salamiyah, Hama province, on December 12, 1934, who received his education in Salamiyah and Damascus.
The writer did not receive abundant knowledge in his life, as he left school at an early age, although, he became a professional satirical political literature and he authored many critical dramas that played a major role in developing the political theater in the Arab world.
His poems succeeded in moving the stagnant waters of poetry, and he was looking to things with the future eye, as many of the articles he wrote for years seemed to describe what is happening today.
He traveled to Beirut, and there he met many famous poets and writers such as Youssef al-Khal, Adonis and the Iraqi poet Badr Shaker al-Sayyab and many others.
In the 1960s, al-Maghout started working as a journalist, publishing a number of satirical articles in al-Binaa magazine, and published the play “The Clown” in 1960, after that, he was appointed editor-in-chief of al-Shurta magazine, and wrote satirical articles in it periodically.
In addition, al-Maghout wrote a number of satirical plays, the most important of which are; Tishreen Village, Ghorba and Kasak Ya Watan, all were played by a number of Syrian renowned actors like Dureid Laham and Nihad Qale’e.
Al-Maghout continued his journalistic work during the seventies, writing for the Syrian newspaper Tishreen, and he also wrote for Al-Mustaqbal ( Future )magazine, which was published in the French city of Paris.
The eighties of the last century were difficult, harsh, and full of sadness for him , he was affected by the death of his sister, father, and wife during a short period between 1984 and 1985, and three years later his mother also died. The death of his wife had a great impact on him, and he grieved for her greatly, and he did not marry again after her death.
Muhammad Al-Maghout received the Syrian Order of Merit of the Excellent degree in recognition of his creative literary giving, in a ceremony hosted by Al-Assad National Library on May 2, 2005.
On Monday, April 3, 2006, Muhammad al-Maghout’s heart stopped and he passed away at the age of 73, leaving an important cultural heritage.
Fedaa al-Rahyiah/ Mazen Eyon
