Hey girls ! Do you know May Ziadeh ??!!
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Blida Department of English: Free Stand to Stand Free :: All about :: Literature :: Arabic Literature
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Hey girls ! Do you know May Ziadeh ??!!
by sassy86 Sat Feb 11, 2012 9:27 pm
Today is the birthday of May Ziadeh. I thought many girls who are unaware of the privileges they have nowadays living in Arabic countries AND studying at universities should know the one who struggled hard to made it possible for them.
May Ziadeh was an important literary figure. She was a prolific poet, translator, short-story writer, essayist, letter-writer, and critic, as well as host to an important literary salon. While her first collection of poetry (Fleurs de Rêve, 1911) was in French, she devoted most of her time and energy to writing in Arabic.
Ziadeh’s poetry and essays were pioneering. She wrote numerous editorials and, in the words of scholar Antje Ziegler, “courageously took a stand against European colonial politics and defended the freedom of the press and other basic democratic rights.” But she was perhaps best-known for defending women’s rights.
She was the first arabophone woman to study at university. She rebelled against ignorance and defended women’s rights for education and emancipation. For that sake, she struggled against anachronic traditions. Being an important figure of “anahda”, she was also one of the first figures of oriental feminism and hence contributed at the awakening of women concerning the importance of education.
***Her feminism though was not a wild one. She asserted that women’s emancipation should not be at the expense of losing their feminity, but should be in parallel to men’s virility. In sum, women should be successful not in abandoning their nature but in realizing it, making it accepted by others, and putting it forward.
But, while Ziadeh was a widely respected thinker and writer, after the death of her parents, she found herself in difficult straits. Because she was unmarried, social mores apparently made it impossible for her to continue hosting her salon.
But, even during the last years of her life, Ziadeh continued to write.
May Ziadeh was an important literary figure. She was a prolific poet, translator, short-story writer, essayist, letter-writer, and critic, as well as host to an important literary salon. While her first collection of poetry (Fleurs de Rêve, 1911) was in French, she devoted most of her time and energy to writing in Arabic.
Ziadeh’s poetry and essays were pioneering. She wrote numerous editorials and, in the words of scholar Antje Ziegler, “courageously took a stand against European colonial politics and defended the freedom of the press and other basic democratic rights.” But she was perhaps best-known for defending women’s rights.
She was the first arabophone woman to study at university. She rebelled against ignorance and defended women’s rights for education and emancipation. For that sake, she struggled against anachronic traditions. Being an important figure of “anahda”, she was also one of the first figures of oriental feminism and hence contributed at the awakening of women concerning the importance of education.
***Her feminism though was not a wild one. She asserted that women’s emancipation should not be at the expense of losing their feminity, but should be in parallel to men’s virility. In sum, women should be successful not in abandoning their nature but in realizing it, making it accepted by others, and putting it forward.
But, while Ziadeh was a widely respected thinker and writer, after the death of her parents, she found herself in difficult straits. Because she was unmarried, social mores apparently made it impossible for her to continue hosting her salon.
But, even during the last years of her life, Ziadeh continued to write.
sassy86- Number of posts : 1227
Age : 37
Location : Where I truly belong
Registration date : 2011-09-03
Re: Hey girls ! Do you know May Ziadeh ??!!
by sabine Mon Feb 20, 2012 8:08 pm
oooooh dear Sassy! I really love her. I like very much her poem untitled "Avis" 
(written in french, it's about her nostalgy for Beiroout) 
Avis
Mon histoire est un peu géographique.
J'étais en pension La ville nostalgique
Que baigne l'Océan vous tous la connaissez;
Ses sables sont toujours par les flots caressés...
Et c'est Beyrouth... Beyrouth la porte de Syrie,
Dont l'azur est riant et la rive fleurie.
Et c'était l'examen qu'on dit simestriel.
Notre examinateur, un excellent mortel,
Avait mis de côté tout intérêt de science
Et n'agissait qu'avec une extrême indulgence;
Devant lui l'élève à l'autre se succédait,
Ecoutait tous ses mots, pensait, y répondait.
Arrivait le beau tour d'une enfant. Fort à l'aise
En face d'un dessin de la terre Française,
Elle attendait un geste, un mot, une question.
"Où sont les Alpes?" dit-il d'un aimable ton.
Le doigt fier, esquissant un fort immense geste,
D'une voix qui voudrait être toute céleste
Elle répondit...
"Les Alpes sont dans la mer Méditerranée!"
May Ziadeh
(written in french, it's about her nostalgy for Beiroout) Avis
Mon histoire est un peu géographique.
J'étais en pension La ville nostalgique
Que baigne l'Océan vous tous la connaissez;
Ses sables sont toujours par les flots caressés...
Et c'est Beyrouth... Beyrouth la porte de Syrie,
Dont l'azur est riant et la rive fleurie.
Et c'était l'examen qu'on dit simestriel.
Notre examinateur, un excellent mortel,
Avait mis de côté tout intérêt de science
Et n'agissait qu'avec une extrême indulgence;
Devant lui l'élève à l'autre se succédait,
Ecoutait tous ses mots, pensait, y répondait.
Arrivait le beau tour d'une enfant. Fort à l'aise
En face d'un dessin de la terre Française,
Elle attendait un geste, un mot, une question.
"Où sont les Alpes?" dit-il d'un aimable ton.
Le doigt fier, esquissant un fort immense geste,
D'une voix qui voudrait être toute céleste
Elle répondit...
"Les Alpes sont dans la mer Méditerranée!"
May Ziadeh
sabine- Number of posts : 459
Age : 33
Location : Boumerdes
Registration date : 2011-02-23
Re: Hey girls ! Do you know May Ziadeh ??!!
by sassy86 Tue Feb 21, 2012 9:49 am
That's what i'm saying man! Sabine's constructive contributions 
Wonderful poem Sabinou !
Wonderful poem Sabinou !
sassy86- Number of posts : 1227
Age : 37
Location : Where I truly belong
Registration date : 2011-09-03
Re: Hey girls ! Do you know May Ziadeh ??!!
by sabine Wed Feb 22, 2012 7:30 pm
I'm happy you like my taste Sassy 
sabine- Number of posts : 459
Age : 33
Location : Boumerdes
Registration date : 2011-02-23
Blida Department of English: Free Stand to Stand Free :: All about :: Literature :: Arabic Literature
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