Yusuf al-Khal

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Yusuf al-Khal

Yusuf al-Khal ( Arabic يوسف الخال/ juːsuf alxaːl /; * 1917 in Amar al-Hisn , Syria ; † March 9, 1987 ) was an Arabic writer and translator of Syrian origin. Together with Adonis , he founded the magazine Schi'r (Šiʿr) in 1957, thereby initiating a movement to modernize Arabic literature.

Life

According to the church register of his place of birth Amar al-Hisn ( Syria ), Yusuf al-Khal was born on May 5, 1916 (according to the official version sometime in 1917) to Christian parents. Yusuf al-Khal himself later stated that he was born on December 25th.

During his school days, the family moved with him to Tripoli , Lebanon .

Between 1944 and 1948 he taught at the American University in Beirut , where he had previously studied philosophy and English literature .

From 1948 to 1955 he lived in the USA , where he worked for the United Nations and as a journalist.

Since 1955 he has been working at the American University in Beirut again, in 1957 he founded the magazine Schi'r (Šiʿr) together with Adonis and a publishing house that mainly published works by Schi'r authors. In this magazine young, modern Arabic writers and poets had their say, who wanted to break away from the frozen traditions of Arabic literature .

As an advocate of such ideas, Yusuf al-Khal was highly controversial. He was accused of being "an agent of the West and of colonialism ".

Yusuf al-Khal also made a name for himself as a translator of primarily English and American literature into Arabic. He also translated the New and partly the Old Testament into Arabic.

In the last year of his life he advocated the use of colloquial Arabic in literature and from then on also wrote consistently in colloquial Arabic.

Yusuf al-Khal died on March 9, 1987.

Selection of works

Own works

  • Al-ḥurriyya ( Freedom ). 1944.
  • Hīrūdia. Play. 1954.
  • Al-biʾr al-mahǧūra (The dried up well). 1958.
  • Qasāʾid fī l-arbaʿīn. 1960.
  • Al-aʿmāl aš-šiʿriyya al-kāmila (1938–1968) (Poetic Complete Works). 1973.
  • Rasāʾil ilā Dūn Kishūt (Letters to Don Quixote). 1979.
  • Al-wilādat ath-thāniya (The rebirth). 1981.
  • Al-hadātha fī š-šiʿr (The youth / novelty in the lyric). 1978.
  • Dafātir al-ayyām (diaries). 1987.

Translations

Yusuf al-Khal translated into German

Some of his poems have appeared in collections in German, e. B. in

literature

  • Suleman Taufiq (Ed.): New Arabic Poetry. Munich 2004, ISBN 3-423-13262-0 , pp. 225f.
  • Jacques Amateis: Yūsuf al-Ḫāl wa maǧallatuhu šiʿr. Beirut 2004, ISBN 2-84289-477-4 . (Arabic)

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Amateis, Jan.
  2. ^ Taufiq: New Arabic Poetry. 226
personal data
SURNAME Khal, Yusuf al-
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Ḫāl, Yūsuf al-; Khal, Jusuf al
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Arabic writer and translator
DATE OF BIRTH 1917
PLACE OF BIRTH Amar al-Hisn , Syria
DATE OF DEATH March 9, 1987