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Witness History

Syria's rebel poet

Witness History

BBC

Personal Journals, Society & Culture, History

4.51.6K Ratings

🗓️ 26 August 2021

⏱️ 9 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

The Syrian poet Nizar Qabbani was one of the most influential and famous Arab cultural figures of the 20th century. His enduring legacy has become contested territory in the conflict that has torn his homeland apart.

Transcript

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0:00.0

Choosing what to watch night after night the flicking through the endless

0:06.8

searching is a nightmare we want to help you on our brand new podcast off the

0:11.8

telly we share what we've been watching

0:14.0

Cladie Aide.

0:16.0

Load to games, loads of fun, loads of screaming.

0:19.0

Lovely. Off the telly with me Joanna Paige.

0:21.0

And me, Natalie Cassidy, so your evenings can be a little less

0:24.9

searching and a lot more auction listen on BBC sounds.

0:30.9

This This is a witness history podcast from the BBC World Service with me, Zach Brophy.

0:40.0

Today, the contested legacy of one of the leading Arab cultural figures from the 20th century,

0:45.0

the Syrian poet Nizar Kibani.

0:48.0

Ainaki Kainah Kainahari Ahdani,

0:51.0

Nahrai Mohi Mohi Khah al-Ahmani. That was Nizar Kobani, Nuzarqabani.

0:55.0

That was Nuzar Kobani reciting some of his romantic poetry in an interview with the BBC's Arabic service.

1:04.3

There is not one Arab-A-Kabani.

1:10.3

There is not one Arab home which doesn't have at least one book by Nizar Kabbani.

1:15.0

It's like having a Bible or a Quran.

1:18.0

His poems were liked by people with different educational backgrounds and life experiences.

1:24.2

The teenager, the school teacher, the trader, the bus driver and even the dictator.

1:29.5

All of them read Nizarkebani.

1:32.4

Nori Ajurah is a prominent Syrian poet. He knew Nizarkabani personally and was editor of a magazine that published some of his last works.

1:40.0

Nizarkabani died in 1998, but the conflict that has since

...

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