لا تزال القصيدة حية.. السيّاب والبياتي والحيدري يعودون إلى بغداد بعد قرن كامل

Baghdad is preparing to reclaim one of the most influential chapters of Iraqi and Arab poetry, invoking the memory of modern poetry and celebrating the centenary of the birth of three of its most prominent voices: Badr Shakir al-Sayyab, Abdul Wahab al-Bayati, and Buland al-Haidari, in an event that highlights a poetic legacy whose echo is still present.

A Centenary that Creates Memory

The (Centenary of the Pioneers) festival celebrates a century since the birth of the three poets through a cultural and literary program held in Baghdad from October 1 to 3, which includes activities that revisit their poetic experiences and contributions to shaping the features of modern Arab poetry.

This occasion comes a hundred years after the birth of the three poets, whose names are linked to fundamental transformations witnessed by Arabic poetry during the twentieth century, as their presence transcended the boundaries of formal renewal to raise new questions about humanity, homeland, city, exile, and social and political transformations. The festival is organized in Baghdad in collaboration with the Cultural Advisory Office of the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Antiquities, and the General Union of Writers and Authors in Iraq, with support from the Association of Private Iraqi Banks.

Three Voices... One Turning Point

The festival brings together three experiences that were not identical in their visions and methods, but converged in the desire to reconsider the traditional form of poetry and to open up to broader rhythms and poetic experiences. Thus, al-Sayyab, al-Bayati, and al-Haidari remained an essential part of the discussion about the emergence and development of modern poetry in Iraq.

The celebration holds special significance in Baghdad; a city that has been closely associated with a significant part of the modern Iraqi cultural movement, as the centenary seeks to reintroduce these poets to new generations, not merely as names from the past, but as their achievements are seen as material that is open to reading and reinterpretation.

Al-Sayyab... The Voice of Rain

Badr Shakir al-Sayyab stands out as one of the founding figures of free verse poetry, and his name is particularly associated with the poem (The Rain Song), which was published in a collection bearing the same name in 1960, and critics consider it one of the pivotal works in the development of free verse poetry. His experience was also characterized by evoking the Iraqi environment, symbolism, mythology, and national and human concerns.

His contributions were not limited to poetry; al-Sayyab was interested in world literature and translated several poems and modern works, while his harsh personal experience and health struggles reflected in various aspects of his writing. He passed away in 1964, leaving behind a poetic experience whose influence extended to successive generations.

Among his most notable works are (The Rain Song), (Stranger on the Gulf), and (The River and Death), which solidified his presence in the memory of Arabic poetry.

Al-Bayati... The Poet of Exile

As for Abdul Wahab al-Bayati, his experience was shaped at the heart of the modern Arab poetry movement, and his life was marked by frequent travels between countries, which made exile, travel, and political and human transformations strongly present in his poetic world.

His works reveal a long path of experimentation and interaction with the issues of his time, and he published numerous collections, including (Shattered Jugs) and (Poems in Exile). The General Cultural Affairs House in Iraq recently published the complete poetic works of al-Bayati in three volumes, as part of the effort to republish his poetic heritage and make it available to readers.

Al-Bayati passed away in 1999, after a literary career that spanned decades, and his name remained present in the history of modern Arabic poetry.

Al-Haidari... The Poem of Alienation

Buland al-Haidari completes the sides of this poetic triangle; he was born in Baghdad in 1926 and emerged since the 1940s as one of the voices that contributed to establishing poetic renewal. His interests varied between poetry, culture, journalism, and public activism, while his experience was characterized by a wide range of contemplation, alienation, and intellectual transformations.

Among his most notable collections are (The Throb of Clay), (Songs of the Dead City), (You Came with Dawn), (Steps in Exile), (Journey of the Yellow Letters), and (Songs of the Weary Guardian), in addition to (Dialogue Across Three Dimensions). Al-Haidari passed away in London in 1996 at the age of 70, after a poetic journey that left a clear impact on the movement of modern Iraqi poetry.

Baghdad Recalls Memory

The (Centenary of the Pioneers) program includes activities that revisit the poetic and intellectual achievements of the three poets, along with reading and critical sessions that shed light on their experiences, transformations, and their place in the trajectory of poetic modernity. The events span three days, bringing together writers, critics, and guests from Iraq and the Arab world, in an attempt to open a new dialogue with a poetic legacy that has transcended the time of its authors.

The centenary carries a significance that goes beyond celebrating a birthday; the revival of al-Sayyab, al-Bayati, and al-Haidari means, in part, returning to the moment when Iraqi poetry began to rediscover its tools and questions, and to a generation that made poetry a space to confront the questions of the age, not merely a revival of heritage.

Between Baghdad, which witnessed their beginnings, and a century that separates the present of the city from their birth, the three poets return to the cultural scene through a new gateway: not as folded pages in the history of literature, but as voices whose poems still pose open questions to the present.