DAMASCUS: The Damascus International Festival of Arabic Poetry celebrated the tradition of sung poetry this week with a performance by Lebanese vocalist Walaa Al-Jundi at the Damascus Opera House.
Held on Tuesday, the festival’s third day, the concert explored the enduring connection between Arabic poetry and music, drawing on works from across Arab literary history.
The songs included classical verse, romantic poetry, spiritual themes, and Andalusian muwashahat, a traditional poetic and musical form originating in medieval Andalusia.
Al-Jundi opened the evening with “Shakawt Layli” (“I Complained of My Night”), a contemporary poem by Kuwaiti poet Abdulaziz Saud Al-Babtain, set to music by Bilal Al-Zein.
She went on to perform excerpts from Al-Qushayri’s “Ayniyyah” poem, composed by the Rahbani Brothers, along with Ahmed Shawqi’s “Mudnak Jafahu Marqaduhu,” composed by Mohamed Abdel Wahab.
Lebanese vocalist Walaa Al-Jundi performing at the Damascus Opera House. (SANA photo)
The program also featured the Andalusian muwashah “Jadaka Al-Ghayth” by Lisan Al-Din Ibn Al-Khatib, as well as “Aghadan Alqak” (“Shall I Meet You Tomorrow?”) by Sudanese poet Al-Hadi Adam — a piece widely known through the voice of Umm Kulthum and the music of Abdel Wahab.
The evening closed with two beloved works of modern Arab music: “Ana Ya Asfourat Al-Shajan” (“I Am the Bird of Sorrow”), composed by the Rahbani Brothers, and “Qari’at Al-Finjan” (“The Fortune Teller”), a celebrated poem by Syrian poet Nizar Qabbani, composed by Mohamed El-Mougy.
Al-Jundi is widely recognized for her efforts to preserve Arabic vocal heritage through performances of classical poetry and Andalusian muwashahat.
The performance drew warm applause from an audience that included poets, cultural figures, and the Syrian Arab Republic’s Minister of Culture Mohammad Yassin Al-Saleh.
The Damascus International Festival of Arabic Poetry continues to pair literary sessions with artistic performances, underscoring the role of music in preserving and presenting Arabic poetic heritage.
