Later, Jean Daya discovered that al-Maghout wrote another novel, syndicated in Al-Binaa, the newspaper affiliated with the Syrian National Party. It was published under the pseudonym Sumer and never acknowledged by al-Maghout.
But what more do we need to know of his life, after the poet's eloquent and sorrowful works resonated in our hearts, darkened the language and moved our souls with words such as these:
I implore with you, Father,
Stop collecting firewood and information on me
And come collect my debris from the streets
Before the wind blows me away
Or the street sweepers scatter me.
This pen will lead me to my death
It led me to every prison
And trampled me on every sidewalk.
This is al-Maghout's cynical vision of life in the homeland, for Arabs, the world, and the universe.
His pessimism, misery and bitterness multiplied after his wife, the poet Saniya Saleh, passed away.
He bade her farewell crying out:
If it weren't for her...
Were it not for that smile resembling a wound upon a wound,
I would have found no reason to move a finger or open my eyes.
My hands have cracked writing.
All the tables of Damascus and Beirut have been flooded with my tears,
and I am as lonely as a nail.
Therefore, when Jean Daya declares a peaceful war against the poet and his legacy, he uses al-Maghout's own style to expose his contradictions over issues that the poet had overlooked early in his life.
His relationship with the Syrian Social Nationalist Party is among them, and its role as al-Maghout's incubator while he was down and out, looking for refuge, a few companions and a bearable life.
Recovered works
The missing articles and poems in al-Maghout's early career were recovered thanks to Daya, who collected 34 articles and 16 poems, in addition to another unknown novel he published under a pseudonym, Gharaam Sin El Fil, Love in Sin El Fil.
However, the search for the bits and pieces of al-Maghout's life does not end here. The book by his brother, Issam, 'Muhammad Al-Maghout: Letters of Hunger and Fear', exposes hidden areas his life. The author exposed the weakness of his brother's language in the beginning and uncovered al-Maghout's relationship with family, money, and the Party.
It also exposed possible domestic abuse towards his wife, Sania, to the point of causing her to miscarry. This anecdote was broadly detailed by the poet Shawky Bzeih in his recently published book, 'The Marriage of the Creative'.
The mission of undertaking research and documentation is a heavy burden. Anyone who accepts the task must write on any topic with integrity, impartiality, and transparency, especially when they look into the lives of public figures.
Issa's book, however, was not research but rather a narrative of the life of his celebrated brother. Nonetheless, he found nothing to capture in his memory except the bitterness of it.
A legacy unmatched
These two books and al-Maghout's novel, 'The Swing', expose the reality of the man who was so much more than a passer-by in the world of Arab arts in the second half of the 20th century. He is – I daresay – the poet who solidified the prose poem into Arabic literature.
He was of greater significance than so many others. From Tawfiq Sayegh, to Shiir Magazine for poetry, via Adonis's theorising and Lan and the loyal Shiir poets, including Ounsi El-Hajj's thoughtful introduction to his first poetry collection, there is no one like al-Maghout.
His three collections carved the course for the river of words in the cultural landscape — an accomplishment that a whole host of creative artists could not match.
Novelist and journalist Khalil Sweileh conducted an extensive interview with al-Maghout and published a book entitled 'The Rape of Kana wa Akhawatiha' which shed some light on the attributes of the great poet, playwright and satirist.
However, he still deserves more considered attention than memoirs that seek to settle scores.
Al-Maghout once said, "Death is not the greatest loss. The greatest loss is what dies in us while we are alive."
