Mohammed Ben Brahim

This article is about the poet. For the Moroccan footballer, see Mohamed Ben Brahim.
Moroccan literature
Moroccan writers
Forms
Criticism and awards
See also

El Houari Mohammed Ben Brahim Assarraj (Arabic: محمد بن إبراهيم بن السراج المراكشي; 1897–1955) was a poet from Morocco. He is especially well known as the poet of Marrakech of the first part of the 20th century. He wrote poems for both king Mohammed V and for his opponent El Glaoui.[1]

According to his biographer Omar Mounir he was "considered a nationalist by the French, a traitor by the nationalists, a alem by the man in the street and a rascal by the ulemas."[2] Mohamed Ben Brahim studied at the Ibn Yousouf University in Marrakech and the Al-Qarawiyyin University of Fes. He worked as a university professor for a short period and, after that as a journalist.

Many of Ben Brahim's poems are put to music and still popular in present-day Morocco. Karima Skalli is one of his work's interpreters.

Mehdi Khayat interprets Ben Brahim's poetry in his musical work, titled "Mehdi Khayat and the poet of Marrakech"

  1. ^ Écrivains marocains du Protectorat à 1965, p. 27-29 "Mohammed Ibn Ibrahim"
  2. ^ Omar Mounir, Le Poète de Marrakech : "Individu inclassable, inconstant en qui les nationalistes voyaient un traître et les Français un nationaliste, l'homme de la rue le voyait âlim, les oulamas le voyaient voyou".