JEDDAH, 5 April 2006 — On Monday, at the age of 72, Muhammad Al-Maghut, the well-known Syrian poet, died at his home in Damascus.
Al-Maghut is known not only for his poetry but also for his satirical plays criticizing both social and political life in the Arab world.
His first poetry collection “Sadness in Moonlight” was published in 1959. He aimed at reaching an audience which had no interest in classical poetry, verse conventions and sophisticated language.
Al-Maghut was born to a poor family in a small village in the Syrian countryside.
He did not complete high school and was imprisoned on political charges in 1955 and then again in 1961.
He served a few months each time. He was married to the Syrian poet Saniya Saleh who died in 1985; the couple had two daughters.
Last year he was awarded the Syrian First Rank of Merit Medal by President Bashar Assad.
Last month he received an award from the Sultan Al-Owais Emirati Foundation which annually honors Arab writers and intellectuals.