‘Arabic Scent of Poetry’ Delivered in Korean

Kuwaiti Woman by Dr. Souad Al Sabah: the First Kuwaiti Poems Published in Korea

“My eyes suddenly opened! Souad Al Sabah’s poems float upon the long river of time. The sounds of truth are sloshing about. Souad Al Sabah’s poems conceive the sunset’s horizon reminiscing over the midday sun. … Souad Al Sabah is a glory of the Arab world.” – Poet Ko Un

“How about having East and West Asia, Islam and other neighboring religions coming together and putting their heads together? Poet Souad Al Sabah is guiding the way.” – Monk Beopryun

Kuwaiti Woman, Dr. Souad Al Sabah’s book of poetry, was published on February 10 by The AsiaN. Her poems have been published on The AsiaN website under the title ‘Arabic Scent of Poetry.’ Kuwaiti Woman is a compilation of her earlier books of poetry, Fragments of a Woman and To You, My Son.

It is the first time that Kuwaiti poems have been translated and published in Korea.

The book was published in order to celebrate her receiving of the 2012 Manhae Literature Prize and to introduce Arabic poems to Korean readers.

In the preface, Dr. Souad Al Sabah describes her feelings about the publication of her book of poetry in Korean as follows:

“Poetry is no other than a sudden lightning that travels from soul to soul. Here I am Kuwaiti sea gull flying over the Korean banks. This wonderful country has produced sincere and splendid humans of culture that have mastered their work. Please accept all my love.”

Dr. Souad Al Sabah’s relationship with Korea began by being chosen as the Winner of the Manhae Literature Prize last year. The translation of her poems started after Mr. Lee Sang-ki, publisher and CEO of The AsiaN, received a collection of her poems at the ‘2011 Al-Arabi Magazine Conference.’

Jang Se-won, Professor at Dankook University, and Lee Dong-eun, Professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies translated her poems.

Jang Se-won said, “Souad Al Sabah’s poems are sufficient to form a new perspective on Gulf literature. She soothes the pain of the average Arab woman, who suffers amongst terror, war and ideology, with her delicate touch.”

Lee Dong-eun said, “Souad Al Sabah’s world of poetry represents feminism, motherhood, and patriotism. The translation of her anthology reveals the powerful and clear breath of Kuwaiti literature, which has been compiling beneath the veil until now,”

Dr. Souad Al Sabah(1942~) is a poet and a member of the Kuwaiti royal family. Since 1961, she has published 15 books of poetry including Early Flashes(1961), Moments in My Life(1961), Fragments of a Woman(1986), To You, My Son(1986), In the Beginning was Woman(1988), Dialogue of Roses and Guns(1988), Urgent Telegrams to My Homeland(1990), Take Me to the Boundaries of the Sun(1997), A Poem is a Female, the Female is a Poem(1999), and Flowers Know Anger(2005).

She obtained her B.A. in Economics at Cairo University in Egypt and Ph.D. in Economics and Development Planning at Surry University in the U.K. As an economist, she wrote 14 books and more than 150 papers.

Dr. Souad Al Sabah founded the “Souad Al Sabah Publishing House,” one of the leading publishing houses in the Arab world, and has published many books. In her book Allow Me to Love My Country(1990), she bitterly criticized the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990, and drew strong support and sympathy from the people of Kuwait and neighboring countries.

She has been dealing with woman rights and the ironies of society through her poems. Moreover, she is interested in the poor, children and the elderly and her welfare activities range from education and health to social and personal needs. As a result, she was chosen to be part of Who’s Who, a society that selects and recognizes prominent individuals throughout the world.

Her poem, “You Are More Aware,” won first prize as the best poem at the Arab Song Festival in 2001 and she won the Prize of the UNESCO Chairman at the Bobtime Poet Festival in 2006. She is considered one of the most promising Middle Eastern candidates for a Nobel Prize in Literature.

Dr. Souad Al Sabah is also the recipient of the Tunisian Culture Decoration, Kuwait Literary Art Grand Prize and Palestine Cooperation Prize. She was named the Best Cultural Artist in Cairo by the Arab League, and Kuwait University commemorates her once a year through the Day of Kuwait Literature ceremony.