Introduction
My Story with Al-Baini… and the Path to Him!
In October 2016, the “Youth Club – Bayader Rash’in” (Zgharta-Zawiya) invited me to participate in a seminar about two poetry collections in Lebanese colloquial Arabic, “Clusters of Poetry” and “A Glass of Wine,” by the expatriate poet Romeo Owais. He had come from Australia for this purpose, and a book signing for these two collections was planned for his hometown (Bayader Rash’in), followed by another signing in Sydney, where he resides permanently. I accepted for two reasons: firstly, the friendly relationship I have with the club's organizers, and secondly, because my introduction to colloquial poetry would familiarize me with a poetic world, I knew little about, and thus I wouldn't be an enemy of what I didn't know!
This was my first experience with poetry in Lebanese colloquial Arabic, a truly memorable day at the Jisr Rash'in Restaurant (Friday, October 21, 2016), with a large turnout from the local community and from intellectual and poetic circles. My presentation was very well received, which encouraged me to continue exploring the literature of the Arab diaspora in Australia. I later published this presentation in my critical encyclopedia: "80 Books in One Book: Reviews of Contemporary Arab Intellectual Movements – Part Two."
Two years passed, and then the poet Romeo Owais called me from Sydney (winter 2018), asking me—I had become someone he trusted—to write a foreword for his new collection of poems, "Where is the Sin?", which was to be published in Lebanon. He planned to hold a book signing in his hometown (Bayader Rash'in) as soon as it was printed. I agreed, and Romeo became a regular reader, even during times of economic downturn, as my market never experiences a downturn!
These three collections, after I realized the importance of poetry in colloquial Arabic, motivated me to further my understanding of diaspora literature in general, and specifically the literature produced by Arab writers, particularly Lebanese, in the Australian diaspora.
Thus, I found what I was looking for in a polymath whose literary clock never stops ticking. I mean the writer Charbel Baini, whose fame spread throughout the diaspora and even beyond the continent of Oceania! He has more than fifty poetry collections to his credit, in both Lebanese colloquial Arabic and classical Arabic, in addition to fourteen plays, and a series of Arabic language textbooks adopted by some educational institutions in Australia. He also has a prominent presence in the Australian literary scene!
A few days before Romeo Owais left for Sydney (December 2019), we had a conversation about the poet Charbel Baini and his literary role. We also discussed the diaspora literary forums that play a significant role in the Australian diaspora, especially the forum sponsored by the lawyer Dr. Bahia Abou Hamad provided me with a wealth of information about these two figures who champion the cause of Arabic literature, striving to elevate it to its rightful place in Australia and within the broader expatriate literary movement.
After I presented the poet Owais with my aforementioned encyclopedia (80 books in one volume/two parts, 1115 pages), along with my book about the poet of Al-Fayha, Saba Zreik, titled "Zreikian Comparisons: Between the Poet of Al-Fayha, Saba Zreik, and Saba the Grandson," he requested two more collections to present to the poet Baini and to Dr. Abou Hamad, thus making the written word my means of reaching them.
A few weeks passed after Romeo Owais left for Australia, and I received, via Messenger, a thank-you letter from the poet Baini and Dr. Abou Hamad, praising my humble gift.
In the summer of 2019, Dr. Abou Hamad travelled to Lebanon to participate in a book signing event, accompanied by a seminar about her book, "Charbel Baini: A Beacon of Literature," under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture, at the Municipal Palace in Jdeideh, Metn (Thursday, June 14, 2019). Dr. Abou Hamad contacted me, inviting me to attend this literary event, which is of great interest to me!
Three days after acquiring the book (Charbel Baini: A Beacon of Literature), signed by its author, I completed a detailed critical review and sent it via email to both Dr. Abou Hamad (who was still in Lebanon) and the poet Baini, who was in Australia attending his highly anticipated event! They both expressed their astonishment, wondering how a 228-page book (of medium format) could be read carefully and a critical review written about it overnight! This study, which marked the beginning of my literary relationship with Al-Baini—whom I have yet to meet in person—strengthened the bonds of friendship with our poet. It's an almost daily connection, maintained through Facebook, as Al-Baini is an active user, regaling us daily with a poem or a short piece, whether in his colloquial or classical Arabic, a news item, a recollection of a particular event, or a review of a collection of poems, and so on.
Perhaps that study, "Charbel Baini: A Beacon of Literature," which he recently discovered, piqued his interest. In early March 2020, he asked me to write an introduction to his poetry collection, "I Love You." My critical review was well-received, prompting him to request another introduction for his collection, "Maniacs." This commendable ambition stems from the saying of Imam Ali (peace be upon him): "Two are never satisfied: the seeker of knowledge and the seeker of wealth!" When I returned, I informed him that his allotted time with me, indeed his share, had run out, because I had made a vow to myself never to write three reviews for any writer or researcher, except in exceptional circumstances!
The reason for this—which I didn't tell him—was that some might mistakenly believe there was a hidden agenda, leading to speculations and interpretations that would be detrimental to both the writer and the critic!
However, Al-Baini's gentle and kind insistence compelled me to continue my critical work with him, based on the principle that "necessity knows no law!"
Thus, I wrote two more critical reviews of his two poetry collections, "The Star of Poetry" and "Quintets of Love," bringing his total to five reviews, exceeding 250 pages of medium format! When the revelation descended upon Al-Baini - and I do not consider that to be a revelation - he suggested to me that a book should be included with these reviews, entitled: “Charbel Baini between Classical and Colloquial Arabic”, and that it should be published in Sydney, in two formats: electronic and paper.
Undoubtedly, what motivated me to accept this offer was not the prospect of a book published under my name, but rather my intention to view this book as a platform from which to launch an "encyclopedia" on Australian diaspora literature. This is especially relevant given that, in addition to the five reviews by Al-Baini, I currently have seven reviews, as follows: three reviews of the poet Romeo Owais (previously mentioned); two reviews of my late friend, the Australian/Lebanese artist and poet Ghassan Alam El-Din (may God have mercy on him), the first being for his collection "Green in the Plains of Locusts," and the second for his collection "A Sun Hidden in My Chest/Cities"; a critical review of the Syrian writer residing in Australia, Aman Al-Sayed, on her book "Inmates of Dreams - A Collection of Stories"; and a review of the Australian-Lebanese journalist Nadine Al-Shaar on her poetry collection with a Sufi bent, titled "Altars of Love."
And there will be an expansion beyond these names, especially among the third and fourth generations of the Lebanese community and other Arab communities, some of whom occupy influential positions in Australian universities, in the field of literary journalism, and elsewhere.
...This is the path that led me to Charbel Baini, and my first guide was Romeo Owais.
The question remains: Why Charbel Baini?
- Charbel Baini because, in addition to being deeply rooted in the Australian diaspora for fifty consecutive years, he carries the cause of his homeland (Lebanon) in his mind, a wound embedded in his heart, a pain that will haunt him until his last breath!
- Charbel Baini because he is at the forefront, indeed the leading figure, among his peers in the first rank of poets in the Australian diaspora, in the realm of poetry, both classical and colloquial! - Charbel is dear to me because he is ever-burningly passionate in defending the causes of the nation, especially the Palestinian cause and all other Arab causes, in the face of the nation's enemies who attack it from every direction!
- Charbel is dear to me because he is the undisputed "poet of exile," his poetry a roaring, overflowing waterfall amidst the poetry of the diaspora... and even after fifty years, it continues to flow!
- Charbel is dear to me because he is that "Gibran" and "Nizar" (referring to Gibran Khalil Gibran and Nizar Qabbani) who rebels against the infernal alliance between the merchants of the temple and the corrupt politicians who sold out their homelands, impoverished their people, and scattered many of them to the four corners of the earth!
- Charbel is dear to me because he advocates for a unified Lebanese national life, recognizing the other who is different: in creed and religion... for what matters to him is humanity and humanity alone, free from all sectarian, regional, or ethnic affiliations! Charbel Baini, even if he were to conceal his name, you wouldn't know him. When he speaks, you wouldn't know which sect or religion he belongs to; he transcends sects and religions, reaching for humanity itself!
...And Charbel Baini remains that loving, kind-hearted, and pure-spirited "child," who neither argues nor flatters, humble and never turns his cheek away from people, nor walks the earth arrogantly, based on his belief that "God does not love the boastful and arrogant" (Quran: Luqman 18).
...And finally, Charbel Baini is that diligent and tireless scholar, working day and night, even to the point of "madness," to place his work, for the sake of knowledge, in the hands of people, seeking neither reward nor gratitude, except to serve the cause of Arabic literature in the Australian diaspora, and beyond that diaspora! ...And as we turn to "Charbel Baini: Between Classical and Colloquial Arabic," shedding some light on its five chapters, we find it begins with a critical review of Baini's collection "I Love You," titled: "Charbel Baini Declares Love for Women... and Doesn't Compromise!"
This review analyses and deconstructs forty-nine poems, thirty-four of which adhere to classical Arabic and follow the traditional meter, while fifteen are free verse. Baini himself describes these latter poems as "love outside the bounds of meter." We conclude that this collection, "I Love You," is a comprehensive and definitive treatise on love!
...The second critical review, which focuses on the collection "Maniacs," is titled: "Through the collection 'Maniacs,' Charbel Baini Bears Witness to His Time and Triumphs for the Nation!" Through this collection of poems, which adheres entirely to the Lebanese vernacular, Al-Baini confronted, with words and images, the Lebanese Civil War that ravaged his homeland between 1975 and 1976, known as the Two-Year War, and which continued through devastating rounds until 1989. This senseless war claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, leaving countless wounded and disabled, in addition to destroying public services and infrastructure. And the war continues to weigh heavily on the Lebanese people! In this collection, Al-Baini champions the Lebanese people and unleashes his fury and curses, in all their "heavy Caliber," upon the tyrannical and corrupt rulers. All of this is done from a position of struggle, reflecting a political awareness and a transcendence of the abhorrent sectarianism that political opportunists and criminals exploited to create an unbridgeable rift among the Lebanese, and wounds that will never heal!
As for the central review, the third chapter, "Charbel Baini: A Beacon of Literature," it was a review in which we examined fifteen of Baini's poetry collections: eleven in Lebanese colloquial Arabic and four in Classical Arabic. Through this wide range of collections, we identified what we termed Baini's "manifesto," or discourse, exploring his biography and long literary journey through a captivating hypothetical dialogue between the book's author, Dr. Abou Hamad, and our poet. He shared with her milestones in his life, beginning in his birthplace of Mejdlaya and continuing to Sydney, where he now resides permanently.
We have delved into Charbel Baini's thesis on Classical and Colloquial Arabic, exploring its dimensions and foundations in the four reviews included in this book.
...regarding "The Star of Poetry," which we approached through our critical review:
"The Star of Poetry... Sailing on the sails of Classical Arabic, it Plows a boundless sea!" He employed Classical Arabic. Intending it as a poetic rainbow, Baini included forty-four poems drawn from some of his other collections, resulting in a collection with a diverse, eclectic character that cannot be categorized into a single poetic style. The poems range from emotional and patriotic to political and pan-Arab, and even include panegyrics to Arab cities, capitals, and prominent figures who played significant roles in various fields.
... The latest review of the collection "Love Quintets" was titled: "Love Quintets: A Testimony to Colloquial Poetry... Undeniable!"
In it, we delved into the foundations of our poet's thesis on love, drawing on Ibn Hazm al-Andalusi's book "The Ring of the Dove on Intimacy and Lovers," not to mention tracing his "love" journey through its three stages: "Starting with 'Adolescence' (1968), passing through 'A Love Symphony' (1989), and ending with these 'quintets' (between 2018 and 2020), which are, in his view, poetic 'quibbles' in colloquial Arabic, totalling one hundred and fifty-three. They belong, in their entirety, to chaste love poetry tinged with a touch of spirituality, as well as to sensual, lustful love poetry, but to a lower degree!" If there is a defining characteristic of this book, with its five reviews, it lies in the interplay between Classical Arabic and colloquial (or spoken) language in Charbel Baini's work.
The Lebanese colloquial language occupies the largest space in Baini's poetry, to the point that in his daily Facebook posts, whether sharing his older or newer works, he frequently uses poems and fragments in this dialect. It's worth noting that this inclination doesn't detract from his poetic output in any way. The colloquial language, like Classical Arabic, possesses its own unique beauty, which rivals and sometimes even surpasses that of Classical Arabic. Our conclusive proof is his collection "Munajat Ali" (In praise of ALI), written in the colloquial dialect, which has achieved international acclaim, as we've mentioned in several parts of the book. Al-Baini was able to showcase his abilities in both classical and colloquial Arabic, culminating in his masterpiece “Al-Mirbadiya,” which blended classical and colloquial Arabic with elements of zajal poetry. He recited it at the eighth Al-Mirbad Festival, where it resonated deeply! Not to mention his other collections in colloquial Arabic, which have been translated into multiple languages!
We will not dwell further on the topic of classical and colloquial Arabic in this brief overview, as we have already addressed it thoroughly in our five reviews. Our conclusive argument is that Al-Baini excelled in his classical poetry just as much as he excelled in his colloquial poetry!
In conclusion, from Tripoli (Lebanon)... from my tormented homeland, Lebanon, from across the seas, I send these reviews to the intellectuals of the Australian diaspora. I have family and friends in this diaspora, and I hope that my book will add a brick to the edifice of diaspora literature, to which we aspire with pride!
Dr. Mostapha Helwe
******
