Kingdom of Iraq
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Badr Shakir al-Sayyab
Jaykur (Basra), Kingdom of Iraq
Archival Overview
Iraqi poet celebrated as the father of modern Arabic free verse (shi'r hurr), whose revolutionary 1960 collection Rain Song transformed twentieth-century Arabic poetic meter and mythology.
Biographical Record
Badr Shakir al-Sayyab (1926–1964) grew up in the palm groves of rural Jaykur near Basra. Breaking away from the rigid two-hemistich classical Arabic qasida that had reigned for over a millennium, Sayyab introduced flexible meter, modern rhythms, and Western mythic motifs in his 1948 and 1954 collections.
His 1960 poem 'Unshudat al-Matar' ('Rain Song') linked the cyclical rains of Iraq with ancient Mesopotamian myths of Tammuz and fertility, turning personal suffering and national yearning into the supreme anthem of modern Arabic poetry before his tragic death at thirty-seven.
Key Life Milestones
The Rain Song (Unshudat al-Matar)
Published the revolutionary free-verse poem uniting Mesopotamian Tammuz myth with modern Iraqi longing.
Publication of 'Rain Song' Collection
Published the landmark poetry collection that solidified modern Arabic free verse worldwide.
Memorial Guestbook & Tributes
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Final Resting Place
Perpetual MemorialAl-Zubayr (Basra), Iraq