Alaa Qalb Wahid

About This Project

 A collection of poetry in the local vernacular (Bahrain), published by Al-Ayyam Publishing in Bahrain in 2006, accompanied by a CD containing selections from the  poems recorded in the poet’s voice with music composed by the artist Muhammad Haddad and directed by the playwright Khalifa Al-Arifi, with the cover design by the artist Jamal Hashem.

In this collection, the poet presents multiple emotional experiences and brings the local vernacular to the point where it melds with classical Arabic. From the title of the collection, we discern an emotional call for unity that the poet conveys for the individual and the group. He emphasis the need to come together as a unit across all avenues, from the neighborhood, the street, the village, the city, the small homeland, the large homeland, and even, if possible, the world. This is the spirit that tries to rise above evil, above individual selfishness, above sectarianism and any division due to race or language.

The poet utilizes the most eloquent and expressive words from the vernacular, specifically words that express attachment to the place, to the family and to loved ones, along with the grief that memory arouses, and what love, longing, and union with the beloved do.