Outside, people are caught up with the traditional music, dance and food. But inside the yellow-walled hall filled with lines of poetry, Khaseeb Al Hine is enthralled by the historical figure of Al Majidi bin Dhaher.
Most visitors stay briefly. Mr Al Hine, however, just stands there, listening to the words of a holographic figure representing the poet.
The most famous and distinguished Nabati poet of the 17th century, bin Dhaher was given the title “Prince of Vernacular Poetry”. Eloquent and of impeccable character, his writings were shared at gatherings and used as moral examples.
For years his poems were learnt by heart rather than being written down, but after bin Dhaher’s death in 1623 the memory of his works began to fade.
Fellow poets and devotees of his work came together to recall as much as they could – a seemingly impossible task.
Mr Al Hine, also a poet, had come from Al Ain for his virtual encounter with bin Dhaher at the Sheikh Zayed Heritage Festival. And it was the section devoted to the poet that captivated him most at this year’s festival, says the father of 10.
“I didn’t know we had such a poet in the UAE,” says Mr Al Hine, who was a teenager when he fell in love with this literary form. “Poetry was flowing in my veins. Such festivals are windows to the past. You get to educate yourself about your country’s past and its rich heritage.”
Original article by Asmaa Al Hameli
Continue reading at The National:
Al Wathba’s window to the past: Sheikh Zayed Heritage Festival celebrates UAE’s legacy
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