"Echoes of Heritage in Poetry and Al-Zuhairi" at the Kuwait Heritage Association

The Kuwaiti Heritage Association opened its cultural season with a dialogue session titled “Echoes of Heritage in Poetry and Al-Zuhairi,” presented by poet Nader Al-Obeid and moderated by heritage and Arabic linguistics researcher Hanan Al-Jassar. The event was attended by a number of cultural and artistic figures, including Dr. Mohammed Al-Jassar, Secretary-General of the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters; musician Ghanam Al-Diqan; M. Sabah Al-Rais; and numerous enthusiasts of Kuwaiti folk heritage.

The session focused on Al-Zuhairi, a poetic form deemed worthy of greater attention. Al-Obeid explained that the choice of topic stemmed from its significance as part of Kuwaiti heritage. He noted that while other poetic forms had previously received media coverage and television programs, Al-Zuhairi had not garnered similar interest, prompting the decision to dedicate the session to examining, introducing, and commemorating this art form.

Al-Obeid pointed out that Al-Zuhairi originated with the poet Mohammed bin Laboun, who played a prominent role in establishing and popularizing the form. It was subsequently passed down from generation to generation by poets including Abdullah Al-Faraj, Fahd Burasli, Fahd Al-Kashram, and Hamoud Nasser Al-Badr, eventually reaching figures such as poets Abdulrahman Al-Duwaihi and Abdulrahman Al-Najjar. Al-Obeid expressed his wishes for the latter’s recovery and well-being.

He clarified that the lack of media focus on Al-Zuhairi partly stems from the public’s unclear understanding of the art form. Al-Zuhairi is a poetic structure consisting of seven lines: the first three lines end with the same word, though its meaning differs in each line; the next three lines end with a different word, which also carries three distinct meanings; and the seventh line ends with the same word used in the first three lines. This structure grants Al-Zuhairi its unique artistic and linguistic character.

Al-Obeid noted that similar poetic forms exist in some Arab environments, such as Al-Abudiyya in Iraq, which differs in the number of lines, and Al-Darmi, which consists of a single line. He emphasized that each form has its own distinctiveness and artistic structure. He added that Al-Zuhairi was particularly prominent in the Gulf region, especially in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar, with Mohammed bin Laboun playing a pivotal role in its dissemination. Bin Laboun died in 1831 during a plague year, making the revival of his biography and his role in the emergence of Al-Zuhairi an important endeavor.

Al-Obeid stressed that the significance of the session extended beyond introducing Al-Zuhairi as a poetic format; it also involved tracing its origins, documenting its evolution, and highlighting the poets who championed it over nearly two centuries. He asserted that the responsibility of heritage institutions lies in highlighting these folk arts, protecting them from oblivion, and presenting them to future generations. During the session, Al-Obeid recited several Al-Zuhairi pieces composed by Kuwaiti poets, followed by his own recitations of Al-Zuhairi and other poems.