Taha Mahmud, Ali

Born 1902 in Al Mansurah; died 1949. Egyptian lyric poet.

Taha Mahmud graduated from a school of applied arts in 1924. He began publishing in 1927 and belonged to the group of romantic poets associated with the journal Apollo. Taha Mahmud’s early poems depicted the Egyptian landscape. His poetic style, marked by musicality, energetic rhythm, and formal precision, was influenced by the French romantic poet Lamartine and the French symbolists Baudelaire and Verlaine, as well as by the Arab poet Khalil Mutran.

Taha Mahmud’s verse collections included The Wandering Sailor (1934), Vagrant Souls (1941), Flowers and Wine (1943), and East and West (1947). His travels through Italy, Switzerland, Austria, and Germany were extensively reflected in his works. Some of his poems have been set to music. Late in life, Taha Mahmud turned to civic and patriotic themes.