MAHMUD Darwish, the renowned Palestinian poet ho died in Houston on Saturday after an unsuccessful heart operation, aged 67, often joked about his close brush with death. In 1998 he underwent a major heart surgery in Paris, more than 14 years after his first coronary, which nearly cost him his life. But he recovered and went on to write poetry and prose that reiterated his status as one of the most talented and popular poets in the Arab world in the last 50 years.

By the time of his death, his reputation had crossed all boundaries as his verse was translated into more than 20 languages. He won reputable international awards and attended festivals and literary events in Asia, the US, Europe and the Arab world. Many of his poems were made into songs and his verses were recognized by Palestinians, Arabs and Jews.

He was called the poet of the Palestinian resistance and his life mirrored that of millions of his countrymen. He was displaced from his hometown in the Galilee at a young age, fled with his family to Lebanon, returned to Israel, was imprisoned, banished again and lived in exile in Egypt, Lebanon, Tunis, Jordan, France and the former USSR. He was the quintessential Palestinian, without even trying, echoing the saga of millions of his countrymen in the diaspora.

He hailed from a simple Palestinian family, was taught to read by his grandfather, started writing poetry by the age of seven and like millions of Palestinians lived for one dream; the liberation of his homeland. His early poetry galvanized Palestinian youth, especially in the exile, and inspired those trapped in refugee camps. He became his people’s conscience and carried the message of the Palestinian cause to the four corners of the earth.

HE hated politics and the politicians and loved his freedom and the solitary way of life that shaped his character. His relationship with the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat was tenuous. Arafat, realizing the popularity of Darwish, hoped that the rebel poet would somehow promote his policies, offering him a post in the newly established Palestinian Authority (PA) as minister of culture. But Darwish, who wrote the text of the Palestinian Declaration of Independence in 1988 and was an elected member of the PLO’s Executive Committee, opted to stay away and voiced his objection to the Oslo process and its conclusions.

His poetry evolved as the man himself changed with time. After the first intifada, Darwish found himself at odds with the policies of Arafat and sounded his frustration over the future of the cause he defended. His poetry reflected the rage and the bitterness of his people, their dreams and aspirations. From early on his verse painted pictures of Palestine that was; the orchards, the sea and the mountains and the people who lived there for millennia. At a time when the Palestinian identity was being confiscated by the Zionist onslaught, Darwish found the right words to evoke pride and determination among his people. The most famous of his early poems, Identity Card, began with the ominous lines: Write down, I am an Arab!

His poetry was simple but his style was unique, he had created a distinctive mix that provided the right dose of romantic and realistic approach to a cause that challenged millions of Arabs. His was a plea, that was essentially Palestinian and by extension Arab and universal as well, for justice, hope and peace. He had infused hope and pride at a time of defeat and siege, glorified the simple men and women who resisted the occupation, and reminded the enemy, and the world, that his people will never give up or surrender.

But Darwish was not a violent man. He was an intellectual, a thinker, a sensitive creature who often felt lonely and distanced. He spoke softly, but found a haunting voice that triggered awe when he recited poetry at festivals. He was a solitary man who would stay in his Amman apartment for days without going out. He would receive guests, making them coffee or even cook his favorite dish; kufta with sesame seed paste.

He spoke Hebrew, English and some French, and spent many hours reading. His world was expanding and his themes began changing as he was confronted again with his own illness and eventual demise. His existential nature took over in the last decade as his poetry dealt with universal themes, with death often occupying the center stage.

The last collection of poems dealt with the prosaic and the ordinary ranging from the boredom he felt while under siege to the fallibility of human character that was the common denominator between the occupier and the occupied. His last poem was considered a eulogy for himself describing his last years as a throw of dice, a leap into the unknown.

When he was taken to the US for an emergency heart operation that was deemed risky, he had requested that if there were to be repercussions his companions would be authorized to remove him from life-supporting machines, Darwish had his fill with the threat of death and was now ready to face it with courage. He died but he will always be remembered as the handsome, lanky and well-dressed poet who moved millions with his prose and his passion.