Known for many a thing, from his ruba’iyat (quatrains) to his memorable songs from some of Egypt’s most beloved plays and films, the late Salah Jahin left behind a legend through his brilliant and unique use of words. The late Egyptian poet and lyricist was a pioneer in the development and revolutionary use of colloquial Arabic in poetry, as opposed to the more commonly used (and rather more difficult to understand) fusha (classical) Arabic. Jahin, along with poets such as Fouad Haddad, Abdelrahman el Abnudi and many others to follow, managed to colloquialize poetry, making it both relatable and accessible to the general public. In addition to this, Jahin was also known as ‘the poet of the revolution’ as a lot of his work was greatly inspired by the 1952 Egyptian revolution, which he felt very strongly about. That being said, politics did indeed greatly influence a lot of Jahin’s poetry, having ultimately developed a form of political poetry. Jahin, of course, is more famously known for his unparalleled takes on everyday Egyptian life that can be found in his famous ruba’iyat, as well as his lighter-hearted, yet strikingly memorable,…
