Mikhail Naimy
Mikhail Naimy
Full Name and Common Aliases
Mikhail Naimy was a renowned Arab writer, poet, and philosopher, born on November 17, 1889, in the village of Salmabad, Ottoman Empire (now part of modern-day Lebanon). He is also known as Michael Na'ima or Mikha'il Naimy, reflecting his Arabic name and its various transliterations.
Birth and Death Dates
Naimy's life spanned from November 17, 1889, to March 6, 1988. His long and eventful career made him a celebrated figure in Arab literature and beyond.
Nationality and Profession(s)
A Lebanese national by birth, Naimy was a versatile writer who excelled as a novelist, poet, playwright, critic, and philosopher. He is best known for his poetic works that explored the human condition, spirituality, and the complexities of life.
Early Life and Background
Growing up in a traditional Arab family, Naimy's early exposure to literature and poetry had a profound impact on his future career. His parents encouraged his love for reading and writing from an early age. In 1906, he moved to Beirut to pursue higher education and became deeply involved with the intellectual circles of the city.
Major Accomplishments
Naimy's literary accomplishments are vast and varied:
Poetic works: He published numerous collections of poetry that earned him international recognition for their depth, beauty, and philosophical insight.
Novels: His novels explored themes of identity, belonging, and the search for meaning in a rapidly changing world.
Literary criticism: Naimy was a respected critic who wrote extensively on Arab literature, helping to establish its importance within the broader literary landscape.Notable Works or Actions
Some of his notable works include:
"The Book of Mirdad" (1948): A philosophical novel that explores the nature of spirituality and the human condition.
"The Tree of Life" (1952): A collection of poetry that reflects on themes of love, loss, and the passage of time.Impact and Legacy
Naimy's influence extends far beyond his native Lebanon:
Arab literature: He played a significant role in promoting Arab literature worldwide and advocating for its preservation.
International recognition: His work has been translated into numerous languages, making him one of the most celebrated Arab writers globally.Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
Mikhail Naimy is widely quoted and remembered due to his:
Poetic genius: His poetry continues to inspire readers with its beauty, depth, and insight.
Philosophical contributions: His philosophical novels and essays have had a lasting impact on the literary world.
Advocacy for Arab literature: He tirelessly promoted Arab culture and literature, helping to establish it as a vital part of global intellectual discourse.
Throughout his long life, Mikhail Naimy left an indelible mark on Arab literature and beyond.
Quotes by Mikhail Naimy
Mikhail Naimy's insights on:
Creep where you cannot walk. Walk where you cannot run. Run where you cannot fly. Fly where you cannot bring the whole universe to a standstill within you.
You must not impose yourselves on any man. For that which is imposed by force is soon or late deposed by force.
Less possessing – less possessed. More possessing – more possessed. More possessed – less assessed. Less possessed – more assessed.
For Man is held by everything he holds. Release your grip on things if you would not be in their grip.
It is my light that sees me in your eye. It is your light that sees you in my eye. Were I a total darkness your eye, looking at me, would be a total darkness.
Naimy writes, ‘As a living branch of a living vine, when buried in the ground, strikes root and ultimately becomes an independent grape-bearing vine like its mother with which it remains connected, so shall Man, the living branch of the Vine Divine, when buried in the soil of its divinity, become a God, remaining permanently one with God.
God is not many. God is one. But many and divers are yet men’s shadows. So long as men cast shadows on the earth, so long as each man’s god no greater than hi shadow. The shadow-less only are all in the light. The shadow-less only know one god. For god is Light, and Light alone is able to know Light.
Be steady. Make ready. Keep your eyes, and ears, and tongues on fast so that your hearts may know that holy hunger which, once appeased, leaves you forever full. You.
Love neither lends nor borrows; Love neither buys nor sells; but when it gives, it gives it s all; and when it takes, it takes its all. Its very taking is a giving. Its very giving is a taking. Therefore is it the same to-day, to-morrow and forevermore.
If then, your world be such a baffling riddle, it is because you are that baffling riddle. And if your speech be such a woeful maze, it is because you are that woeful maze.