THE WISE SAGE
OF ARABIC LITERATURE

The first half of the 20th century witnessed panoramic intellectual and literary revival in the Arab world, as a result of the events of the 19th century which experienced direct and strong interaction with the modern European mentality. The features of such intellectual and literary revival were many and including all forms and contents of Arabic Literature; short story, play, etc...

Leading figures
Pioneers, at all domains of arts, appeared, as they not only translated modern European literature, but further went on to master and develop standards and principles of artistic, literary and language creation.

As for the novel, Naguib Mahfouz and Yehia Haqui along with many others mastered that art, while Mahmoud Taymour, followed by Youssef Idris were at the forefront of the art of short story, at the same time Taha Hussein came to master the essay.

Only him
Only one man managed to master all models of both literary and intellectual arts. Tawfik Al-Hakim rests secure in his ability to assimilate all fields of literary arts. 0n October 8, 1899, Hussein Tawfik Al-Hakim - who is much known as Al-Hakim - was born in Alexandria. His father was working in the judiciary and yearned to have his son occupy the same career, Al Hakim (the father) convinced his son to join the School of Law.

The Paris days
In 1925, his father sent him to Paris with a view to pursuing his study of law and keeping him, at the same time, away from theatre and art about which young Tawfik was much attracted. He spent three years straight in Paris, during which time he gave up studying law, and was inclined to study both old and contemporary literature along with the French Theatre.

Mixed career
In 1929 he served as representative to the national courts in the rural areas of Egypt which he continued for four years. In this period of time he managed to gather and codify his observations and remarks about aspects of life in such rural areas. Al-Hakim, further, went to fathom habits, manners, conceptions and traditions of people in this place; information that helped him a great deal in writing his novel "Diary of an MP in Rural Areas". In 1937, he published that novel which was a real sincere depiction of the life of many in Egyptian villages. He, also, was affected to a great measure by spending this important stage of his life in such a place, the matter which obviously reflected in several stories and novels he wrote, such as the anthology of "Notes in Art and Space" published in 1953, followed by the play "The Deal" which was staged in 1957.

In 1934, he became a Cairo resident, as he was assigned director of the investigation department in the Education Ministry. Afterwards, he assumed a new task in the Ministry of Social Affairs in 1939 and then appointed as the director of social guidance department. Aspiring to unshackle the restrictions of red tape, Al-Hakim tendered his resignation in 1943. In 1951 he accepted to assume the post of the Egyptian National Library Director General.

In 1956 the Supreme Council for Arts and Literature was established, and Tawfik Al-Hakim was appointed permanent member in this council till he was selected to represent Egypt as a permanent representative to UNESCO in Paris. He got married at 45, had Ismail and Zeinab. In 1978 his wife died and unfortunately his son Ismail breathed his last while in the prime of youth.

Rendezvous of art
Tawfik Al-Hakim's office in Al-Ahram newspaper headquarters, sixth floor, was the rendezvous for the art, intellect and literature, as the cream of the society in this age; Youssef Idris, Zaki Naguib Mahmoud, Youssef Al Sebaei, Naguib Mahfouz, Abdul Rahman Al-Sharqawi, Salah Taher and Tharwat Abaza used to gather there to exchange views and establish dialogue.

Al-Hakim's feeling of responsibility towards his pilot role, anyway, has contributed to a great measure in diversifying his creations represented in various novels, short stories, biographies, critical articles, meditations, in addition to the play which remained the essential pivot of his artistic concerns, as he launched writing his first play in 1918 "Unwelcome guest" while in 1924 his plays found their way to the stage. His plays, as a matter of fact, had not been excluded to specific colours, rather they had been diversified to touch on political, comic and even tragedy theatres.

Further inspiration
Tawfik Al-Hakim was further inspired by the Greek legends, myth and fiction to bring about real interactions that express right feelings. He, also, drew from the heritage of Arab legend, depicting it in "Scherazade", the play which was staged in French language on the Comedie Francaise theatre in Paris, 1955. He took religious heritage into consideration as well. Al-Hakim, however, is thought to be the first who probed the theatre of the absurd, with the aim of identifying new effects that would enhance theatre movement in general.

Dialogue
Dialogue was Tawfik Al-Hakim's favorite way to crystalize his ideas, feelings and impressions, hence, his way in expressing thoughts and emotions was so clear in his novel works, such as "Return of the Spirit", religious work such as "Muhammad, the Prophet", in addition to an anthology of short stories along with social and political dialogues he established between the author and others.

He conceived dialogue as a vast room for interaction, that should not be confined to drama, rather it must include all literary and artistic values. So the dialogue, according to Al-Hakim's notion is an absolute artistic medium for expression.

Through his art, Al-Hakim lived the reality and the vivid events, contributing to national, political and social life via the heros and heroines of his plays and novels. He tackled great numbers of issues and questions in his works that are considered to be of his masterpieces; "The Return of the Spirit", "Meditation in Politics", "Return to Reason". Most of his masterpieces were published in the French, English, German, Russian, Spanish and Italian languages, while several were staged in London and Paris.

 "Diary of a MP in Rural Areas" was included, by one of the most celebrated universities in the United States of America, among 60 books that were selected to represent the most significant international publications issued between 1950 and 1990. As for Egyptian cinema, it left no stone unturned in touching on his works, like great number of his literary works that were highly acclaimed and applauded while displaying them such as "Bullet in the Heart", "Holy Bond"," Soft Hands", "Quiet Nest", "Bird from the East".

Due honour
Appreciating and recognizing his pioneering role in reviving and promoting Arab theatre, late President Gamal Abdul Naser granted him the Decoration of the Presidency, and he was, also, awarded the Nile Collar by late President Anwar Sadat.

His philosophy
On his philosophy as a writer, Al-Hakim says, "the core of my philosophy is not to make the reader adopt my opinion without thinking and speculating, rather to stimulate the average reader's ability to weigh matters, while reaching his own opinion. If the reader assumes specific attitude even if it was different to mine, still I realize great success in building up this way of appreciating, while in case he (the average reader) seconds my notion with complete conviction of his own will, I, also, consider myself as achieving great success".

Actually, the value of Al-Hakim's first creations could be incarnated in the pioneering process itself. Some, however, might have different attitudes towards the extent of intellectual domination on art, the matter which clearly appeared in some of his plays. Different attitudes, also, prevailed towards this tendency of his short stories on one hand and the contradiction between his political and social stances on the other.

 Despite all these differences, no one can dispute that Al-Hakim was viable and effective pioneer in mapping out the drive of Arab contemporary culture. He managed to make use of our old heritage and to interact with the elements of global culture everywhere. Al-Hakim succeeded in realizing distinction in several works. One envisages that the commitment imposed by being a pioneer was never a preoccupation of his; rather that developed into personal and public ambition only upon direct contact with European culture.

To give love life
Before going to Paris, Al-Hakim was - as some described him - a request writer who wrote to please producers and directors. Truly, theatre was a love of his but he failed to give that love life... After Paris and the confrontation with French theatre, trends, intellectuals and men of letters; fresh implications and connotations developed in Hakim's mind for the world's culture, literature, theatre, novel, etc.

Hakim's French experience changed that. Even during the period he stayed in France there also were some alterations in the Egyptian scene, which caused authors including himself to change titles given to their works of art. Returning from Europe, Tawfik trod the same road as Al-Mazni, Al-Aqad, Hykal and Shoukri; the people who leveled the ground, laid the foundations and built the first story. They wrote short stories, one act plays, novels, full-fledged drama, as well as studies in literature, arts and religion.

Before Paris, Hakim's sole concern was the theatre but his pioneering role dictated otherwise, so he added the novel, reviews, dialogue, biography, short story and essay to his list of interests Perhaps that same sense had him write works affected by western insinuations - he did not copy. Hakim was always his own man, his creations singled out & unprecedented. Perhaps Al-Hakim feeling of the responsibility of pioneering, was the incentive which instigated his soul an old desire to write the play "Pygmalion" after watching the famous Bernard Shaw's play. Feeling of being pilot is the thing that had Al-Hakim feel upset towards the ignorance of the publishers, as they preferred to publish a story entitled "Pains of Lovers" rather than a story under the title "The Return of the Spirit".

"My end today is to make the dialogue an absolute artistic value to be read as an art and an intellect",wrote Al-Hakim after his return from Paris. Dialogue was the perfect way - according to Al-Hakim notion - to crystallize his ideas, thoughts and even his impressions, as Al-Hakim deemed the field of experience in theatre authoring is so narrow, because our Arabic literature - at that time - did not recognize the theatre literature.

Theatre, at the very beginning, was the ultimate trend of Al-Hakim, as short story did not catch his eye until years followed publishing his first play "Unwelcomed Guest". Despite his close friendship to members of the modern school; Ahmed Khairi Said, Yehya Haqei, Ibrahim Al-Masry, Mohammed Taymore, Mahmoud Eizi, Hassan Mahmoud and Taher Lashein, his friendship did not go beyond impartial relation away from art and literature questions, hence short story was the main issue of his friends.

Their works, even after Al-Hakim embarked on writing this kind of stories, were more sophisticated, as Al-Hakim used to write as the situation dictates. "I do this kind of writing when I feel there is a need to contribution", said Al-Hakim, describing writing these kinds of stories as national and artistic voluntary work.

Following his return from Paris, 1960, Al-Hakim started looking and meditating at things in different way and more impartial prespective, as he engrossed on cogitating the details of the Egyptian folkloric art, fathoming the real land that contains the roots of the modern art. The apparent feature, however, in the modern art either pertaining to the photography, sculpture or theatre is to express the reality through the unreal, resorting to the unreasonable and illogical in each and every artistic expression.

 That extended even to the language Al-Hakim tried to harness, with a view to serving the issue of art. "The issue of language, that must be used in local theatre, was and still constituting controversial question, as arguments were diversified on using standard or colloquial language", hence using standard language makes any play more readable, but staging a play to be easy for the average audiences entails colloquial language. So standard language is not final one in all cases.


SOME OF HIS CREATIONS
Plays
People of the cave
The problem of the rule
Isis
Solayman Al-Hakeem
Oedipus the King
Soft hands
The deal
The play of death
The donkies
The sun of the day
Food for each mouth
You, going up the tree
Journey to the future
The thornes of peace
Pygmalion
Schehrazade
The beguiled Sultan
The ordeal
Council of justice
Theater of variety (21 short plays)
Theater of the community (21 short plays)

Stories
The people
Bird of the East
Dancer of the temple
Bank of anxiety
Diary of an MP in rural areas
The holy bond
Return of soul

Novels
The Sultan of darkness
The revolt of youth
The wedding night
Justice and art
The era of the devil

Articles
Under the sun of the intellect
Al-Hakim's tree
My donkey told me
Of the ivory tower
Under the green lamp
The art of the literature
Between intellect and art
Literature of life
Challenges of the year 2000

Dialogues
Muhammad, the Prophet
AL-Hakim's donkey
Talk with the planets
Interior features

Political and Intellectual Books

Return to reason
Egypt between two eras
Equalism
The four Traditions

Biographies

The prison of age
The flower of years