Firas Massouh

Al-Zahawi's Revolt in Hell (Part II)

  [This is part II of the translation. You can read the introduction and part I here and the original Arabic here.]            XVI.        Taking the dead down to hell   Jettisoned I was from the heavens, Two angels tugging my rope, Like a farmer with his cattle. Three times then, I was immersed in boiling tar, Thrown into the pit of hell,

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Al-Zahawi's Revolt in Hell (Part I)

The thawra of Jamil Sidqi al-Zahawi Jamil Sidqi al-Zahawi (1863-1936) was an Iraqi poet, critical figure in the development of Arabic literary modernism, and a scholarly and outspoken contributor to political and social debates during the early part of the twentieth century. Zahawi envisaged a revolutionary role for poetry, transforming the purpose of verse into a utility by which contemporary social critiques could be posed. This is evident in his staunch support for ...