Yusuf al-Khal facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Yusuf al-Khal
يوسف الخال |
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Yusuf al-Khal
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| Born | December 25, 1917 Amar al-Husn, Homs Governorate, Syria |
| Died | March 9, 1987 (aged 69) |
| Occupation | Poet Writer |
Yusuf al-Khal (Arabic: يوسف الخال) was an important poet, journalist, and publisher from Lebanon and Syria. He was born on December 25, 1917, and passed away on March 9, 1987. He is known for being a leader in a type of writing called prose poetry. He also helped bring a style called surrealist poetry to the Arabic world.
Yusuf al-Khal worked with other poets like Adonis and Ounsi el-Hajj. Together, they started a magazine called Shi'r (which means "Poetry") in Beirut in 1957. This magazine helped to make Arabic literature more modern and exciting. His poems are found in many collections of poetry from the Near East. He wrote many new and different kinds of poems and also translated works by famous writers like Whitman, Eliot, and Frost.
Yusuf al-Khal's father was a Protestant minister from Lebanon. Yusuf himself was Greek Orthodox. He grew up in Tripoli, Lebanon. Most of his career and work happened in Lebanon.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Yusuf al-Khal studied at the American University of Beirut. He earned a bachelor's degree in philosophy and English literature. One of his teachers there was Charles Malik.
From 1944 to 1948, al-Khal taught at the same university. During this time, he also started a publishing house called Dar al-Kitab in Beirut. This company began by publishing a magazine called "Sawt a Woman," which al-Khal edited. He managed the publishing house until 1948.
Working in the United States
From 1948 to 1955, Yusuf al-Khal lived in the United States. He worked for the United Nations in their press and publishing department. This job involved journalism. After seven years, he returned to Lebanon in 1955.
Contributions to Literature
Yusuf al-Khal created the quarterly poetry magazine Shi'r. This magazine was published from 1957 to 1964. It then started again in 1967. All the issues of the magazine were later reprinted in 11 large books.
In 1967, he became the Editor-in-Chief at An-Nahar Publishing House. He also started a famous literary gathering called the Salon of Poetry Magazine, or the Salon of Thursday. This salon met from 1957 to 1959. Poets like Yusuf Al-Khal and Adonis were part of these meetings.
Personal Life
Yusuf al-Khal was married twice. His first wife was Helen Khal, a Lebanese-American painter. They had two sons named Tarek and Jawad.
In 1970, he married Maha Bayrakdar, a Syrian artist. Maha was a well-known painter in Damascus. She also worked in Lebanese media for several years. Yusuf and Maha had two children, Yusuf and Ward. Both of their children later became popular TV stars in Lebanon.
Selection of Works
Yusuf al-Khal wrote many books and plays. He also translated works by other authors.
His 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 many important books into Arabic:
- Khalil Gibran : The Prophet. 1968.
- TS Eliot : The Destroyed Earth. 1958.
- Anthology of American Poems. 1958.
- Carl Sandburg : Abraham Lincoln. 1959.
- Robert Frost : Selected Poems. 1962.
- The new Testament. 1958.
Yusuf al-Khal Translated in German
Some of his poems have been included in collections in German, for example:
- Suleman Taufiq (Ed.): New Arabic Poetry. Munich 2004, ISBN 3-423-13262-0 .
Featured Works
- al-Khal, Yusuf. The Flag of Childhood: Poems from The Middle East. “The Deserted Well” Ed. Naomi Shihab Nye. New York: Aladdin, 1998. 76.
See also
In Spanish: Yusuf al-Khal para niños
