Fadwa Tuqan ( ar, فدوى طوقان, also transliterated as ''Fadwa Tuqan'', es, Fadwa Tuqan, french: Fadwa Touquan and Fadwa Tuqan; 1917 – 12 December 2003), was a Palestinian poet known for her representations of resistance to Israeli occupation in contemporary Arab poetry. Sometimes, she is referred to as the "Poet of Palestine".

Overview

Born in Nablus to the wealthy Palestinian

Tuqan family The Tuqan clan ( ar, طوقان ''ṭūqān'', also spelled ''Toukan'', ''Touqan'', ''Tukan'' and ''Tokan'') is a prominent Palestinian and Jordanian political and business family. During the Ottoman era, they dominated the political and socio-e ...

known for their accomplishments in many fields, she received schooling until age 13 when she was forced to quit school at a young age due to illness. One of her brothers, Ibrahim Tuqan, known as the ''Poet of Palestine'', took responsibility of educating her, gave her books to read and taught her English. He was also the one who introduced her to poetry. Tuqan eventually attended Oxford University, where she studied

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

and literature. Fadwa Tuqan's eldest brother is Ahmad Toukan, former

prime minister of Jordan The prime minister of Jordan is the head of government of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The prime minister is appointed by the king of Jordan, who is then free to form his own Cabinet. The Parliament of Jordan then approves the programs ...

. Tuqan's poetry is known for her distinctive chronicling of the suffering of her people, the

Palestinian Palestinians ( ar, الفلسطينيون, ; he, פָלַסְטִינִים, ) or Palestinian people ( ar, الشعب الفلسطيني, label=none, ), also referred to as Palestinian Arabs ( ar, الفلسطينيين العرب, label=non ...

, particularly those living under

Israeli occupation Israeli-occupied territories are the lands that were captured and occupied by Israel during the Six-Day War of 1967. While the term is currently applied to the Palestinian territories and the Golan Heights, it has also been used to refer to a ...

. She contributed a Bahraini progressive journal, ''

Sawt al-Bahrain ''Sawt al-Bahrain'' (Arabic: ''The Voice of Bahrain'') was a monthly political magazine published in Manama, Bahrain, between 1950 and 1954. It was the first independent publication by the Bahraini intellectuals. The magazine laid the basis for t ...

'', in the early 1950s. Tuqan eventually published eight poetry collections, which were translated into many languages and enjoy renown throughout the Arab World. Her book, ''Alone With the Days'', focused on the hardships faced by women in the male-dominated Arab world. After the

Six-Day War The Six-Day War (, ; ar, النكسة, , or ) or June War, also known as the 1967 Arab–Israeli War or Third Arab–Israeli War, was fought between Israel and a coalition of Arab states (primarily Egypt, Syria, and Jordan) from 5 to 10 Ju ...

, Tuqan's poetry focused on the hardships of living under the Israeli occupation. One of her best known poems, "The Night and the Horsemen," described life under Israeli military rule. Tuqan died on 12 December 2003 during the height of the

Al-Aqsa Intifada The Second Intifada ( ar, الانتفاضة الثانية, ; he, האינתיפאדה השנייה, ), also known as the Al-Aqsa Intifada ( ar, انتفاضة الأقصى, label=none, '), was a major Palestinian uprising against Israel ...

, while her hometown of Nablus was under siege. The poem ''Wahsha: Moustalhama min Qanoon al Jathibiya''
Longing: Inspired by the Law of Gravity
was one of the last poems she penned while largely bedridden. Tuqan is widely considered a symbol of the Palestinian cause and "one of the most distinguished figures of modern Arabic literature." Her poetry is set by

Mohammed Fairouz Mohammed Fairouz (born November 1, 1985) is an American composer. He is one of the most frequently performed composers of his generation and has been described by Daniel J. Wakin of ''The New York Times'' as an "important new artistic voice". Fa ...

in his Third Symphony.Thomas Moore. (12 September 2010)
Mohammed Fairouz: An Interview
''Opera Today'', Retrieved 19 April 2011

Bibliography

* ''My Brother Ibrahim'' (1946) * ''Alone With The Days'' (1952) * ''I Found It' (1957) * ''Give Us Love'' (1960) * ''In Front Of A Closed Door'' (1967) * ''The Night And the Horsemen'' (1969) * ''Alone On the Summit Of The World'' (1973) * ''July And The Other Thing'' (1989) * ''The Last Melody'' (2000) * ''Longing Inspired by the Law of Gravity'' (2003) * Tuqan, Fadwa: ''An autobiography: A Mountainous Journey,'' Graywolf Press, Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S.A (1990), , with part two published in 1993

References

External links

*Samar Attar. (Summer 2003)
A discovery voyage of self and other: Fadwa Tuqan's sojourn in England in the early sixties
''Arab Studies Quarterly''. *Lawrence Joffe. (15 December 2003)

''The Guardian''. {{DEFAULTSORT:Tuqan, Fadwa 20th-century Palestinian poets 20th-century Palestinian women writers 21st-century Palestinian poets 21st-century Palestinian women writers 1917 births 2003 deaths Arab people in Mandatory Palestine Palestinian women poets Fadwa