Ebrahim Al-Arrayedh
Encyclopedia
Ebrahim Al-Arrayedh was one of the greatest poets of Bahrain
.
Al-Arrayedh grew up in Bombay, India
without speaking any Arabic
, and it was only after his family moved back to their home in Bahrain when he was eighteen did he learn the language. His first poetry was published in Baghdad
in 1931. A multi-linguist, he translated the works of poets between Persian
, Hindi
, Urdu
, English
, and Arabic
. Today, he remains one of the most popular writers in Bahrain.
He was also a noted reformer setting up a school, and was appointed head of the Constitutional Council by the late Amir, Sheikh Isa Bin Salman Al-Khalifa, who was responsible for developing Bahrain's Constitution in the early 1970s prior to independence from the United Kingdom
.
Al-Arrayedh died in March 2002 after breathing problems. He went to hospital but could not be saved so the 95 year old man died at the hospital. He was buried in the "Manama Graveyard" next to his daughter the late Layla Al-Arrayedh who died in 2001 just before her father died.
Following his death, the King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa, named one of the Kingdom’s most geographically important roads after him — opposite the Bahrain Financial Harbour
. In 2006, his old house, in Gudaibiya
, in the capital city of Manama
, was turned into a cultural centre, the Ebrahim Al-Arrayedh Poetry House, open to tourists and as a meeting place for poets.
In 2008, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation held an exhibition in Al-Arrayedh's honour in its headquarters in Paris
, France
.
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
.
Al-Arrayedh grew up in Bombay, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
without speaking any Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
, and it was only after his family moved back to their home in Bahrain when he was eighteen did he learn the language. His first poetry was published in Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
in 1931. A multi-linguist, he translated the works of poets between Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
, Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
, Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, and Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
. Today, he remains one of the most popular writers in Bahrain.
He was also a noted reformer setting up a school, and was appointed head of the Constitutional Council by the late Amir, Sheikh Isa Bin Salman Al-Khalifa, who was responsible for developing Bahrain's Constitution in the early 1970s prior to independence from the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Al-Arrayedh died in March 2002 after breathing problems. He went to hospital but could not be saved so the 95 year old man died at the hospital. He was buried in the "Manama Graveyard" next to his daughter the late Layla Al-Arrayedh who died in 2001 just before her father died.
Following his death, the King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa, named one of the Kingdom’s most geographically important roads after him — opposite the Bahrain Financial Harbour
Bahrain Financial Harbour
Bahrain Financial Harbour is a large-scale commercial development project in Manama, the capital of Bahrain....
. In 2006, his old house, in Gudaibiya
Gudaibiya
Gudaibiya is a neighbourhood in Manama, the capital city of Bahrain.An older part of the city, yet it is one of the busy areas, Gudaibiya is a bustling highly cosmopolitan area and home to many new arrivals in the Kingdom, as well as government offices including parliament. It has large numbers of...
, in the capital city of Manama
Manama
Manama is the capital and largest city of Bahrain, with an approximate population of 155,000 people.Long an important trading center in the Persian Gulf, Manama is home to a very diverse population...
, was turned into a cultural centre, the Ebrahim Al-Arrayedh Poetry House, open to tourists and as a meeting place for poets.
In 2008, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation held an exhibition in Al-Arrayedh's honour in its headquarters in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.