The Sad Joy Maker.. Salah Jahin, Personality of the Year at the Cairo Book Fair

Creating joy and multiplicity of talents is the most important characteristic of the Egyptian poet and screenwriter Salah Jahin, who was chosen by the organizers of the Cairo International Book Fair, in its 54th session (January 25-February 6), to be the personality of the year, and his poem “On the Name of Egypt” was chosen as a slogan. for the exhibition this year.

Despite Jahin's fame with "Al Rubaiyat" and "The Great Night Operetta", his creations included a mixture of talents. He is a cartoonist, poet, screenwriter, songwriter, singer and actor, and he was able to present various productions in art and culture.

A faltering birth

On December 25, 1930, Salah Jahin saw the light, but he described his birth as faltering, as he came to the world with a blue color and muffled breaths that he regained so that life could be written for him, which is what he wrote about in one of his poems, “Forced to you, O morning, usurped, O night / I did not enter it with my feet.” Nor did I have an inclination / Shailini Shel, I entered life / and tomorrow I will get out of it, Shailen Shel.

In his childhood, Jahin loved the arts, but he acquiesced in his father’s wishes and enrolled in the Faculty of Law, but soon decided to turn to art and writing, to become at the forefront of the creative scene.

Poet of the revolution and the people

Jahin entered the field of lyrical poetry through the lyrical images that were produced by the Egyptian radio in the fifties of the 20th century, to turn at the same stage to emotional songs. His songs are “I am Hana, O Ibn al-Halal”, “Ban Alia His Love” and “Hadota”.

In addition to emotional singing, Jahin had another face, which is the "poet of the revolution", as he expressed the 1952 revolution with his songs that he performed with Abdel Halim Hafez, such as "We are the people", "Bil Hugnan", "Soura" and "Welcome to the battles".

Jahin continued his career in lyrical poetry, so he collaborated with singer Ali Al-Hajjar in "A Boy and a Girl-Nahbi Leh", and allowed him to sing the quatrains that had previously been sung by Sayed Makkawi.

It also influenced the artistic and human formation of Muhammad Mounir, although they did not meet artistically until after his departure in the songs “Atkalomo”, “After the Flood” and “The Al-Kahli Apron”.

His friendship with musician Hani Shenouda contributed to the launch of the "Egyptian Band" with him, so he wrote its most famous songs, such as "Cattle Siniora", "Matahsboush Ya Banat" and "Al Shawara Hawadit".

In addition to presenting many lyric songs to films and series, his fame remained widespread through the operetta "The Big Night" with the late musician Sayed Makkawi, and the fawazir that he performed with the artist Nelly.

Quartets and scenarios

His wide fame in lyrical poetry was next to being one of the most important poets of his generation, as his poetry was distinguished by the simple colloquial language, so he published his first collection in 1955, "Kalimat Salam".

Among his other collections of poetry were "Mawal Ashan Al-Qanal", which he published in 1957, and "Al Rubaiyat" in 1963, also known as "The Rubaiyat of Salah Jahin".

In addition, Jahin turned to writing the script, so his works carried a philosophical vision, in addition to the lightness that distinguished the seven films he wrote.

In the 1970s, he wrote the script for the movie “Khali Balak from Zouzou”, and after that he co-wrote “Amira Hobbi Ana”, which is the work in which Souad Hosni played the starring role.

He also participated in “The Return of the Prodigal Son” by Youssef Chahine, the movie “Sheelni and Ashilak”, and the screenplays of “Shafiqa and Metwally” and “The Savage”.

The last of these works was the movie “The Curse” in 1984, then the series “Tales of He and She” in 1985.

The artistic cooperation between Salah Jahin and Souad Hosni in cinematic and lyrical works behind him was a close friendship that spanned years, as the Egyptian star considered him her "spiritual father".

Failed actor and leading painter

In addition to his many talents, Salah Jahin presented experiences in acting in 9 films, starting in 1962 through the movie “Without a Date”, and followed by “The Virgin of Basra”, “The Thief and the Dogs”, “No Time for Love” and “The Mamluks”. The last work in which he participated was "Farewell, Bonaparte".

But his daughter, Samia Jahin, said, in an interview with her later, that he considered himself a failed actor, and he felt that he embodied "Salah Jahin" and was not good at impersonating characters, in addition to being inclined to creativity in which he is the decision-maker and not under the direction of a director.

Salah Jahin had a major role in establishing the modern Egyptian school of caricature in the mid-fifties, with his comrades in the weekly "Sabah Al-Khair" magazine specialized in this art.

Through his simple and smooth drawings, Jahin expressed the political, social and economic crises that Egypt experienced in the fifties and sixties of the last century, and his smooth method later became a school adopted by cartoonists in Egypt, and he was one of its pioneers.

A political experience and a sad end

The political life and society in which Salah Jahin grew up was an integral part of his experience, as he is the son of the July 1952 revolution, its poet and voice, capable of moving people's feelings through his words, with the patriotic songs he presented.

And as much as he was enthusiastic and his love for the revolution, his psychological breakdown was following Egypt's defeat in 1967 (the setback). At that time, Jahin's situation changed and turned upside down. He disappeared, became depressed and fell ill, and became living in guilt that he participated in selling lies to the Egyptians and igniting their enthusiasm, deception without even benefit. He led them to a setback.

The impact of the "setback" was deep on him, and it shook his being, and it reached the point that he traveled to receive treatment in a private psychiatric clinic in Russia, only to return after that to rebel against all the ideas that he promoted through his songs.

Despite the world of joy that Salah Jahin brought to art, through his writings in the world of poetry, cinema, drama and fuzzies, his end was not as joyful as his death sparked a lot of controversy, due to his suffering from severe depression, to close his eyes permanently in April. April 1986.