Salah Jahin

Salah Jahin
Born	(1930-12-25)December 25, 1930 Cairo,Kingdom of Egypt
Died	April 21, 1986(1986-04-21)(aged 55) Cairo,Egypt
Occupation	Poet, lyricist, playwright and cartoonist
Language	Egyptian Arabic
Nationality	Egyptian
Years active	1955–1986

Muhammad Salah Eldin Bahgat Ahmad Helmy(محمد صلاح الدين بهجت أحمد حلمى,IPA:[mæ'ħæmmædsˤɑˈlɑːħel-,edˈdiːnˈbæhɡæt'æħmædˈħelmi]), known as "Salah Jaheen"or" Salah Jahin "(صلاح چاهين[sˤɑˈlɑːħʒæˈhiːn];December 25, 1930 – April 21, 1986) was a leadingEgyptianpoet,lyricist,playwrightandcartoonist.

Life and career

Jaheen was born in Shobra district,Cairoin 1930 to a middle-class family. He studied law inCairo University.In 1955, he started working for the Egyptian weekly magazine "Rose al-Yousef" as a cartoonist. A year later, he moved to the new magazine "Sabah el-Khair" for which he became theeditor-in-chief,then he joinedAl-Ahram.

Together withFuad Haddad,Jaheen had a great role in development of Egyptiancolloquialpoetry. In fact, the term "shi'r al-ammiya" or "Arabic colloquial poetry" was only coined in 1961 by a group of young poets including Salah Jahin,Abd Al-Rahman Abnudi,Fuad QaudandSayyid Higabwho called themselves "Jama't Ibn Arus".Before that, poetry in colloquialEgyptian Arabicwas regarded as afolkloricand low art produced by and for the uneducated masses, while the term "Shi'r" (Arabicfor poetry) was restricted to poetry written inModern Standard Arabic(commonly known as "Fuṣḥā", meaningmost eloquent).

He wrote several plays for thepuppettheatre. He was also known for his nationalist and patriotic songs that marked the revolutionary era ofGamal Abdel Nasserrole, many of which were performed by the famous Egyptian singerAbdel Halim Hafez.The poet was highly inspired by the1952 Revolutionand was sometimes known as the semiofficial poet of the revolution.However, after Egypt's defeat in the1967 warandGamal Abdel Nasserdeath in 1970 he suffered from a severe depression. In one interview, he said that with the death of Nasser in 1970 and the sudden shift in political orientation he felt increasingly likeHamlet,withSadatembodying the treacherousClaudius.

In addition to political poetry, Jahin's poems frequently containmetaphysicalandphilosophicalthemes, questioning the purpose of human life, the nature of good and evil, human and divine will and the limits of human pursuit of freedom and happiness.

In 1965, Jaheen was awarded the Egyptian Order of Science and Arts of the First Class. He died in 1986 at the age of 55.

Works

As a poet

Ruba'iyat (Quatrains)

In 1963 Jaheen wrote hisquatrainsorrubaiyatin which he expressed his beliefs, emotions and views of life, existence, good and evil. Each verse ended with one ironic expression "Agabi" or "how strange!". Quatrains are sometimes argued as the greatest popular poetic achievement in Egypt in the last 50 years.

In Egypt's Name

In 1971, Jaheen wrote "Ala Esm Masr" or "In Egypt's name", anepic poemnarrating thehistory of Egypt,from thepharaoic eratill present. Each verse ended with the same expression "Ala esm Masr" or "In Egypt's name" but each time holding a new meaning. In this poem Jaheen repeatedly expressed his love for his country. In onestanza,he says:

"History may say what it wishes in Egypt's name

Egypt, for me, is the most beloved and most beautiful of things.

I love her when she owns the earth, east and west.

And I love her when she is down, wounded in a battle.

I love her fiercely, gently and with modesty.

I hate her and curse her with the passion of the lovesick.

I leave her and flee down one path, and she remains in another.

She turns to find me beside her in misfortune.

My veins pulsating with a thousand tunes and rhythms.

In Egypt's name. "

Other books

His other books of colloquial poetry include:

• An al-qamar wa al-teen (1961).
• Qasaqis Waraq, (1966).
• Dawawin Salah Jahin, (1977).
• Angham Siptambirriyah, (1984).

Song writer

Jaheen wrote thelyricsof many songs, mostly patriotic songs that were performed byAbdel Halim Hafez.His songs include: "Soura" or photo, "ehna elsha'b" or "we are the people", "Khaly elselah sahy" or "oh weapon, be ready", "Ya ahlan belma'arek" or Welcome battles "and" El-mas'oulia "or" Responsibility ". He wrote for the puppet theatre, including the famousoperetta"El-leila el-kebira" or The Grand Night. Jaheen also worked as afilm producer,screenwriterand an actor. Hisscreenplaysincluded: "Awdat al ibn al dal" or The return of the prodigal son; directed byYoussef Chahine,"El less wal kilab" (based on the novelThe Thief and the DogsbyNaguib Mahfouz), "Shafika we Metwali" or "Shafika and Metwali", "Khally ballak men Zouzou" ( "Watch Out for Zouzou" ) and "Amira Hoby Ana" or Amira My Sweetheart. In the latter two, the famous Egyptian actressSuad Husnisang some of her most beautiful songs: "Ya wad ya te'eel", "Khally ballak men Zouzou" or "Take Care of Zouzou", "El-hayah ba'a lonha bamby" or "Life has turned pink" and "El-donia rabe'" or "It's spring time". He also wrote the script and lyrics for the "Riddles" -a television series with a riddle in each episode presented during the month ofRamadanin theEgyptianand Arab televisions- for several successive years and for thetelevision serial"Howa wa heya"or" He and She "portrayed byAhmad ZakiandSuad Husni. 2010, The Egyptian SingerTony Kaldascomposed a song from his lyrics and sang it in a new different style, in a classical way with Piano.

Political Cartoonist

'On the Soap Question', a wry Salah Jahin cartoon published in Al-Ahram in 1974

Jahin was a witty political cartoonist, where his sketches of everyday life over the course of four decades "made people laugh and cry at the same time."His drawings were a mainstay of Al-Ahram's daily editions form the 1960s until his death in 1986, and at least two volumes published collections of his work in 1986,and 2013.Jahin's original sketches have also been exhibited.

Trivia

AGoogle Doodleon 25 December 2013 commemorated Jahin's 83rd birth anniversary.

References

General References

• "Salah Jaheen".Egypt State Information Service.Archived fromthe originalon 2008-11-20.Retrieved2016-07-18.
• Salah Jahin form arabworldbooks

External links

• Salah Jahin.
• "Salah Jahin: Balzac holding Rodin's chisel".Al-Ahram Weekly.2001-04-26. Archived from the original on 2006-03-24.Retrieved2016-07-18.{{cite news}}:CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
• Salah JaheenatIMDb
• Salah Jahin's cartoons
• “Cigarette Ash”,trans. by Salma Harland, Arablit Quarterly (29 December 2021)