Arabic literature has lost a cultural icon with the passing of Prince Badr bin Abdulmohsen bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, after an artistic journey that went on for five decades, and the Kingdom has lost its "word engineer" and one of its most prominent and pioneering creatives.
It is true that great art does not die. Nonetheless, Badr’s passing will leave a void in the skies of unique poetry, songwriting, and the visual arts. May God have mercy on him. Everything he gave us was exceptional. After devoting his early years to writing, Badr continued to pursue his work with sincerity and dedication for the rest of his life, turning his poems and artworks into an autobiography.
Badr took poetry to new realms and raised poetic creativity to unprecedented heights. He established a school of poetry and succeeded in crafting unique poetic images with our spoken words, affirming that he came "from this land." He possessed an ability to blend his rich heritage with modern tools that allowed him to leave his mark on rhymes, meters and poetic structure.
Badr tailored his writing to the nation, writing several poems that left us "on top of a cloud." He and his poetry left their mark on every national occasion. The Saudi people remember works like "Allah Al-Badi” (The People of My Country), “Haditheena” (Our Conversations), “Eiz Al-Watan” (Pride of The Nation)." His national poetic epics, such as "Fares Al-Tawhid” (The Night Of Unity), “Watan Al-Shumous” (Sunshine Nation), and “A'Imma Wa Mulook" (Nations And Kings). He not only presented his audience with brilliant poems for five decades, his verses are still alive to this day. They have become part of everyday life. Their influence on conversations in the street and people’s sentiments reflects his extraordinary knack for integrating our heritage and culture into his work. When the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, - may God protect him - honored Badr by bestowing him with the King Abdulaziz scarf, he expressed appreciation for everything Badr has done for us on behalf of the entire nation.
When the Ministry of Culture was first established in 2018, Badr put a lot of time and effort into advising us and doing anything he could to enhance our culture across the board. He attended every cultural event, and his support and encouragement inspired my colleagues and me. His suggestions enriched our cultural journey. Indeed, he was an irreplaceable author who has accumulated vast experience in cultural management since being appointed president of the Saudi Society for Culture and Arts in 1973.
On a memorable evening in 2019, UNESCO opened its doors to the great poet on World Poetry Day, allowing him to grace the audience with his best work. I vividly remember how he introduced himself as "a citizen from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. My hobby is painting, and my job is writing poetry." He realized the importance of devoting himself fully to poetry early on, and his bet on his talents proved successful over the five decades he dedicated to poetry.
Through the "voice of the earth," the late Saudi artist Talal Maddah, the "word engineer" wrote the masterpiece "A'tini Al-Mahabba" (Give Me Love) in the late 1960s. More than 56 years later, he passed away after receiving more than he had asked for: millions of admirers, immortal works, and bright rivers of his poems, whose light brightens our nights, and the end of his journey left a flood of tears.
Alongside his momentous poetic presence, the poet prince also led another life in his studio, where he painted his poems on canvases, where we can also see his penchant for "endless horizons and the unexpected doors.” From the very beginning, he believed that poetry and painting are similar, and this conviction is evident in his brilliant paintings that blended the desert, the sea, and their horizons.
Badr left a distinct mark on creative endeavors. Both a true poet and a creative painter, the Saudi people take pride in him on every occasion. We bid farewell to Badr’s body, but his spirit will remain part of Saudi culture. Youths will always see him as a source of pride, and he will be an inspiration to the next generation of Saudis.
I hope that those who are in charge of the Badr bin Abdulmohsen Cultural Foundation he established will continue to follow his sharp vision, thereby enriching the cultural movement in this country. That is what its founder had aspired to. It has a role to play in preserving our heritage and honoring the life of one of our history’s most consequential literary figures. I am pleased that my colleagues at the Literature, Publishing, and Translation Commission will develop a track at the Literary Criticism Lab dedicated to Prince Badr bin Abdul Mohsen, which will focus on studying, documenting, and presenting his poetic experience to future generations.
May God have mercy on Badr and grant him eternal peace in paradise.
