A symposium in Al Ain sheds light on popular poetry and the factors that distinguish it
Al Ain, December 2, 2017 – Al Muwaiji Palace hosted the event “From the Pulse of Society to the Pulse of Poetry: Al Ain in the Language of Its Poets,” which shed light on popular poetry and the factors that distinguish it.
The event was part of the “Nights of Poetry: The Sung Word” program, one of the most important events of the Al Ain Book Festival 2025.
The session, moderated by Abdullah Saeed Al Kaabi, was attended by the poets: Ahmed Salem Al Shamsi, Ali Al Kindi Al Murar, and Saif bin Kamidish, during which they spoke about the roots of popular poetry in the city of Al Ain, its features, and the factors that contributed to the distinctive style of its poets and their presence in the local scene, through its major poets who contributed to preserving poetry and popular heritage, and transmitting it to generations.
Poet Al Shamsi, one of the founders of the Al Ain Poets Council, gave an overview of the great status that poets enjoyed in the early days of the union, recalling the support they received from the late Sheikh Zayed, may God have mercy on him, and the pivotal role the poetry councils played in developing the poetic movement. Researcher and poet Ali Al-Kindi Al-Marar reviewed the features of the beginnings of the poetry scene in Al Ain, pointing out that poetry has an inherited legacy, and that its roots are deeper than what is documented.
For his part, the poet Saif bin Kamidish spoke about the poetic legacy in his family, stressing that his father established in him a vision that considers poetry a message to society, based on maturity, balance, and avoiding satire, which are commandments that formed the pillars of his poetic experience.
The participating poets provided rich information about the features of poetry in Al Ain, and recited to the audience verses selected from their most beautiful poems, while poets Ahmed Al Shamsi and Abdullah Al Kaabi presented new poems to the nation on the occasion of Union Day.
Al Muwaiji Palace also witnessed another heritage session that reviewed the book “Poems from the Heritage” by the poet and heritage researcher Ali Al Kindi Al Marar, who explained that his new publication includes three famous poems from the authentic Emirati heritage that document the history of the region.
During the session, Al Marar pointed out that despite his many achievements in heritage and popular poetry, he still feels that preserving Emirati heritage and history has not fulfilled its right to preservation.
The book includes the poem “Oh God, O World, the Secrets of My Thoughts” by the poet Saeed bin Ateeq Al Hameli.
As for the second poem, “The Incident”; It belongs to his father, the poet Ahmed bin Ali Al-Kindi, and it documented the details of a traffic accident in a poem that constituted an important turning point in his poetic production. The collection concludes with a poem by the poet Ali bin Muhammad Al-Qusaili from Liwa, which reflects the life of the people of Al Dhafra and their diving and pearl diving trips. Al-Marar chose it because of his close relationship with the poet and his learning from him of the history of the region and its popular poetry.
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