For its thirteenth edition, this year’s series “Ism Alam” was dedicated to the poet Adonis during a grand celebration on the evening of June 15, 2019. Father Michel Jalakh, Rector of UA, opened the ceremony as he expressed his happiness to honor Adonis through the university's publications, in the presence of intellectuals and friends, including the representative of the President His Excellency Mr. Rafik Shalala, and other officials.
Father Michel Jalakh: Adonis, the Legend and the Child
During his speech, Rector Fr. Jalakh expressed the following: ““Ism Alam” in its thirteenth edition is an event that is aging like fine wine, through its golden celebrations and publications aiming to honor talented authors. After having honored different philosophers, artists, and important figures in humanities, some of whom are present today; this year’s “Ism Alam” is celebrating the leading poet who combines the vision of poetry in his writings, the depth of philosophy, the creativity of art, and different cultural issues all at once.
It is a great pleasure for Antonine University to welcome the grand Adonis to its podium and make him part of its publications while gathering elite intellectuals and friends around him.”
During his word, Father Rector insisted on the childhood of Adonis, this period that he considers crucial in the artist’s story as he learned how to express himself and his vision of the world through art. “The man freed himself from all ties and set his soul free. Throughout his unique journey, he preached one clear message, a message he evoked on the golden book of Antonine University: Live fully / Create your own poem /Spread it to the world.”
Mr. Barrak and Dr. Abou Mrad: Adonis the Speaker
After the speech of the Rector, the audience watched an interview with Adonis and the journalist Bassam Barak, during which he asked him about various topics such as his relationship with Damascus and Beirut, his experience with poetry magazines, his opinion on heritage, love, life, etc. Then, Dr. Nidaa Abou Mrad, Dean of the Faculty of Music and Musicology at Antonine University, presented a musical tribute to Adonis: a composition from "Khawla Diaries” that Dr. Nidaa performed spontaneously on the violin and that the student Rafqa Rizk splendidly sang.
Dr. Lahoud: Tribute – The Book
As for the coordinator of “Ism Alam”, Dr. Pascal Lahoud, UA Executive Vice-Rector, she presented to the audience a summary of the 13th edition of “Ism Alam”, entitled “Adonis: Jame’ Bi Sighat Al Mufrad” (One person with multiple talents).
Lahoud participated in the edition of the 500-page book that engulfs studies written by poets and critics from the Arab world, France, and the United States of America. The studies are about the attitude of Adonis toward poem structure, the role of poetry, tradition, comparison between religious reality and poetic reality, and the main characteristics of his style.
“The thirteenth volume of the “Ism Alam” series is not devoid of criticisms on Adonis. While some of them are topical, others are more radical and comprehensive, because criticism is at the core of the series. We believe that the ideal way of honoring the intellectual is not saying their work is perfect, but rather learning from their experience through the interpretation, analysis, comparison, development, and criticism of their output.
We want “Ism Alam” to be proof of the possibility of teaching the Middle East once again, to accept criticism, freedom, and pluralism. Perhaps tomorrow will be better than the reality that Adonis described in “Ra’es Orpheus”, the final text of the volume, in which he calls for a new East and humanity."
She concluded: “The artist is not a reference that cannot be questioned. It is one who opens up new horizons to the mind and the imagination, and is ready to accept questions, just like authorities and references.”
Adonis: Letter to Youssef and Ounsi
Adonis started his speech with a tribute to Antonine University saying, “I am proud of your cultural vision and of the trust that you gave me. I believe in the wonderful talents present in Lebanon, not only in poetry but also in all the fields that contribute to growing a better society.” Adonis considered that this vision is paving the way toward a better relationship with the University on one hand and society on another. Our University, as he described it, is not only for students, but also for society as a whole. Thus, the relationship between universities and society is beyond the job market: it is a journey toward transformation and innovation.
Adonis admitted that he does not feel alone during this celebration, as he found within this establishment an engaged audience and people who inspired him and whom he worked with.
“I will forever be grateful for your presence in my intellectual life. You belong to a world of talents and I see myself as a part of you, for you participated in creating who I am today.”
Adonis listed the names of many friends and students. To resume his speech, he shared a letter to two of his friends, Youssef Al Khal and Ounsi El-Hajj, declaring, “Here you are now among us. Youssef, you carry in your heart the music of a universal mass and prayer. Ounsi, you carry your poems as you would carry a rose that is spreading its perfume and the light of the Christ”. He described to his friends what is happening in the Arab world and the world, stressing that we are "Living in a period of entity collapse". However, the poet remained confident that the new generations would find solutions to the problems of the Middle East and that “Arab Prometheus” will catch the root of the disease".
At the end of the meeting, Father Michel Jalakh offered the UA’s silver pen to Adonis. The attendees then received their copies of the book “Adonis: Jame’ Bi Sighat Al Mufrad” (One person with multiple talents), published by Antonine University, as a gift and a souvenir.