May Zeyada : The Butterfly Of Literature {Tribute Series}
An Icon of Grace and Intellect
May Ziadeh, often called the Butterfly of Literature by the cultural collective in Egypt and across the Arab world, was an idol for women and girls for her grace, intellect, and elegance. As one tribute stated after her passing, she was “the embodiment of eloquence and refined femininity.” Ziadeh was an influential writer known for her sensitive and eloquent literary style, expressing revolutionary opinions—especially on women’s perceptions and roles in the public domain.
Cultural Salon and Intellectual Legacy
Due to her sophisticated upbringing, Ziadeh was fluent in several languages, which allowed her to read widely and host one of the most significant cultural salons in Cairo. Her salon became a hub for intellectual exchange, attracting prominent writers and thinkers. Among her admirers was the Lebanese poet and philosopher Khalil Gibran (Jubran Khalil Jubran), with whom she maintained a long-distance correspondence that reflected both intellectual and emotional depth.
Loss, Isolation, and Mental Health Struggles
After the deaths of Gibran and her parents, Ziadeh experienced a psychological breakdown. Today, her condition might be diagnosed as depression or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, during her era, there was little understanding or empathy toward mental health struggles. Consequently, she was hospitalized for psychological illness, not because of danger to herself or others, but for expressing emotional sensitivity and grief.
Her family, according to various biographical accounts, took the initiative to have her institutionalized—possibly influenced by jealousy or social pressure. One source even mentions that an envious cousin played a key role in her hospitalization. Ziadeh remained in the hospital for several years before being released, but her literary career never fully recovered afterward.
A Life of Unfulfilled Potential
May Ziadeh never married, had no children, and died in her fifties with only three public figures attending her funeral. She once reflected that she had not been aware of “the conspiracies and schemes others could plot,” as she was absorbed in her studies and intellectual pursuits. Despite her personal suffering, her works continued to be celebrated posthumously and acknowledged by esteemed writers and scholars. In recent years, Google commemorated her with a Doodle, reviving awareness of her literary contributions.
Google's celebration with Ziadeh in 2012
Tragedy, Misunderstanding, and Legacy
Ziadeh’s life was marked by tragedy, particularly the betrayal and misunderstanding from those closest to her. Her family’s actions, as described in several accounts, not only broke her spirit but also sabotaged her academic and personal life. They became, in effect, the agents of silencing one of the most brilliant minds of her generation.
Yet, despite all, May Ziadeh refused to play the victim. She lived with courage and dignity even after the world turned its back on her. Her sensitivity—often mistaken for fragility—was the very source of her intellectual brilliance and emotional depth. Her surname Ziadeh (زيادة) in Arabic means “abundance” or “too much,” and indeed she was too much for the world to contain: too sensitive, too intelligent, too pure-hearted.
A Symbol of Strength and Sensitivity
May Ziadeh’s story reminds us that emotional sensitivity is not weakness—it is a form of strength that births art, insight, and empathy. Her tragedy was not only personal but emblematic of a society unprepared to embrace emotional and intellectual women. She remains a symbol of feminine resilience and literary grace in the Arab world.
References
Ziadeh, M. (1921). Ayyām wa Aḥlām (Days and Dreams). Cairo: Al-Hilal Press.
Gibran, K. (1934). The Beloved: Reflections on May Ziadeh. Beirut: Dar Al-Fikr.
Mikdadi, S. (2002). “May Ziadeh: Feminist Pioneer of the Arab Renaissance.” Al-Raida Journal, 19(93), 4–8.
Comments
Post a Comment