Manama: Abdul Rahman Rafii, a poet whose work was immensely successful and highly esteemed in Bahrain and beyond, has died at the age of 79.
The poet had been ill for a long time and several rumours had wrongly reported his death amid strong denials from his family. He died late on Tuesday.
For generations of Bahrainis and Arabs, Rafii’s poems in both standard Arabic and its Bahraini dialect formed a great source for love, patriotism and exploration of social themes.
Many of the verses of his varied and vast output have turned into catchphrases in Bahrain and in the Gulf countries where he is among the most popular cultural figures.
Born in 1936 in the Bahraini capital of Manama, he studied up to the high school diploma in Bahrain then travelled to Egypt where he studied law.
Upon his return, he worked for many years at the Ministry of State for Legal Affairs before moving to the Ministry of Information where he held the position of Superintendent for Cultural Affairs.
He is credited with nine volumes of poetry that have consolidated his literary status in the region.
Rafii won several awards for his work and appeared in several live poetry readings, mainly in Gulf and Arab countries, invariably winning critical laurels and rave reviews.