The poem became an instant classic despite being instantly banned. Qabbani was better known for his love poetry until the Arab defeat (or Setback) of 1967 prompted him to address his people’s political malaise head on. The context of military, social and economic failure, and of spiritual stagnation, which stretched from 1967 to 2011 is perhaps most effectively evoked by Syrian poet Nizar Qabbani’s ‘Footnotes to the Book of the Setback’. It isn’t surprising, therefore, that poems have played an important role on the streets during the revolutions.įirst, some background. Poetry retains mass popularity and an immediate political significance.
Poetry in the Arab world, like ballet in Russia and football in England, is public property.
Poem: Footnotes to the Book of the Setback
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