Mohammed Ben Brahim

This article is about the poet. For the Moroccan footballer, see Mohamed Ben Brahim.

El Houari Mohammed Ben Brahim Assarraj (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.

Bibliography

References

  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".

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