Michel Trad

Michel Mousa Mitri Trad (October 21, 1912 - February 8, 1998) (in Arabic ميشال موسى متري طراد) was a Lebanese poet considered to be brilliant in Lebanese zajal poetry like Walim Saab, Emile Moubarak, Fouad Abu Ghanem, Adib AL-Attar, and Zaghloul AL-Damour. Trad, who lived in Zahle, was recognized for his work that often included love, women, and the beauty of Lebanon's nature, specifically, his home town Baskinta. His poems were commemorated in songs by Wadih Al-Safi, Fairouz, and Marcel Khalife. They were also translated to other languages like English and French. His work was the subject of a thesis at the Cambridge University of the United Kingdom.

Early life Michel Trad was born on 21 October 1912, in Zahlé, a city in Beqaa Governorate in Lebanon, to Lebanese parents, Musa Trad and Mohiba Ayoub. At the age of six, Michel Trad, along with his mother and sister, moved into his grandparents' house in Baskinta following the death of his father. He was among the contributors of the Beirut-based literary magazine Al Adib.

Despite his passion for poetry at the time, Michel Trad had also worked in a co-op that was associated to the Riyaq military barracks (in Arabic الكوبراتيف). Although Trad detested being an employee there, he had both a good salary and a special transportation from Zahle to Riyaq. Not only did Trad earn £L18 per month, he was also offered one of the used soldiers' bikes as a means of transportation by one of Trad's biggest fans, the army officer that supervised the co-op. Even though Trad had a good salary and a decent ride to and from work, he detested being an employee and had always thought that 'the devil of money was seducing him with the £L18 that he used to earn. Trad's income was considered to be large back then. Nevertheless, he did not fail to waste it which left him with only little money to last him until the end of the month. He used to spend the £L15 accordingly: £L4 on cigarettes, £L8 on drinking arak (in Arabic عرق) near Berdawni, and £L3 for his grandmother at home, leaving him with only £L3 to sustain him. Even with his desperate need for the money, Trad believed he was capable of surviving without it and that working at the military barracks limited him and left him with little time to concentrate on his poetry. That is when it hit him that he needed to quit his job, pursue a career in writing, and consequently, fulfill his destiny.

Awards In November, 1964, Michel Trad won the “Said Akl Award” for his collection of poems “Leish”.

Published works , 1964, 173 pages , 1973, 152 pages , 1978, 133 pages , 1986, 131 pages , 1986, 156 pages , 1993, 151 pages , 1993, 128 pages

Death and legacy Trad died on 8 February 1998.