Pioneering Lebanese Poet Ounsi al-Hajj Dies

Lebanese poet Ounsi al-Hajj, who pioneered the use of free verse in Arabic poetry in the 20th century, died Tuesday aged 77.

"His health had deteriorated in recent days. He was suffering from colon cancer and died on Tuesday afternoon, surrounded by his family at his home," a relative told Agence France Presse.

Akl al-Awit, editor of An Nahar daily's cultural supplement, called the death a "great loss for Arab poetry."

Hajj was a founding member, along with poets Youssef al-Khal and Adonis, of the literary magazine "Shaar" (Poetry).

His first book, published in the magazine in 1960, was the first of free verse poetry in Arabic.

Hajj also worked as a journalist at the pan-Arab al-Hayat daily, at An Nahar and most recently Lebanon's al-Ahkbar newspaper.

He authored six books of poetry that were translated into multiple languages, and himself translated into Arabic works by Shakespeare, Albert Camus and Bertolt Brecht.