Nizar Qabbani

Nizar Qabbani was a Syrian poet, publisher, and diplomat. He was largely considered Syria’s national poet, and one of the most prominent contemporary figures in the Arab world. Born in Damascus on 21 March 1923, he studied law at Damascus University. After graduating in 1945, he worked for the Syrian Foreign Ministry, serving in several capital cities, including Beirut, Cairo, Istanbul, Madrid, and London. By the time he tendered his resignation in 1966, he had established a publishing house in Beirut, which carried his name. He died in London on 30 April 1998, and was buried in Damascus. His work was featured not only in his two dozen volumes of poetry and in regular contributions to the Arabic language newspaper Al-Hayat, but also in lyrics sung by Syrian, Lebanese, Egyptian, Iraqi, and other vocalists who helped popularize his work. He is one of the major Arab writers to have sparked major controversy and instigated change in Arab societies.