Elhadi Adam


Elhadi Adam Elhadi, or Al-Hadi Adam Al-Hadi, was a Sudanese poet and song writer born in El-Helalelih village, Al Jazirah state in central Sudan on the bank of the Blue Nile. He is buried in Sheikh Mahgoub Cemetery in northern Khartoum.

Career

He joined Al-mahad Al-elaamy or Institute in Omdurman and after he graduated he worked in many Sudanese newspapers. He later received a scholarship to complete his education in Egypt in Dar Al-eloom or the Housing of Science in Cairo; he received a diploma in Education and psychology from Ain Shams University in Cairo and then returned to Sudan and worked as a teacher in many Sudanese towns. One of his poems, called El-Helalelieaa, was a part of the curriculum in intermediate school. The poem talks about his homeland, El-Helalelieaa village, and how he is suffering from nostalgia for his village.
Elhadi became well known in Sudan and in Arab world when his poem Is It Tomorrow we shall meet? was sung by the pioneer Egyptian singer Umm Kulthum. The poem was selected by the diva Umm Kulthum among tens of poems offered to her during her visit to Sudan in 1968. She was delayed to singing this song written by Al-Hadi because of the death of Gamal Abdel Nasser, but later sang it in May 1971 on stage of the Cinema "Giser en-nīl" or Nile Palace, which was composed by Egyptian composer Muhammed Abdelwahab.
Elhadi Adam is considered by critics as one of the greatest poets not only of Sudan but of the Arab world as well. Even though he belonged to the old school of poets, he is still considered contemporary.
Al-Hadi Adam was a prolific writer and has several collections of poems. The most well known of his work is كوخ الاشواق, which is considered by critics to be the best of his work. Al-Hadi Adam wrote in several fields, and he wrote one play named Suad which calls against early marriage.
Critics and history scholars in Sudan believe he is one of those who contributed toward the development of poetry, through the arts association, which he supervised in the schools he worked in throughout Sudan. Also he had two poetry collection Nowafez Al`adam نوافذ العدم, `Affoan Ayohha Al-mostaheel عفوا أيهاالمستحيل.

Sample of his poems which translated to English

The source of this translation may be found at