The famous poems of Ousha Al Suwaidi (Fatat Al Arab) include “Salmeen Radaif”, “Al-Shamoot Yamoot” and the prayer poem “My Lord, The Forgiver”. Written in classical Arabic within the Nabati tradition, her verse spans love, wisdom, nostalgia, praise and patriotism — and was performed by celebrated singers including Jaber Jassem, Ali bin Rogha and Mehad Hamad.
Her Best-Known Poems
| Poem | What It Is |
|---|---|
| “Salmeen Radaif” | One of her most widely cited poems, named in the UAE encyclopaedia of her work |
| “Al-Shamoot Yamoot” | Another signature piece recorded among her famous compositions |
| “My Lord, The Forgiver” | A prayer poem, recited at the major honour event held for her on 28 November 2011 |
These three are the named poems traceable in published sources about her — most web biographies, including Wikipedia, name none at all. That silence is itself telling: her work circulated for decades primarily through recitation and song rather than print, which is why pinning down individual titles took encyclopaedic work. Her official foundation describes her most important poem as one in praise of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), a theme she returned to throughout her life and continued reciting even after she retired from composing in the late 1990s.
A Closer Look at the Named Poems
“Salmeen Radaif” and “Al-Shamoot Yamoot” are recorded in the UAE encyclopaedia materials on her work — the published record of a career that, for most of her life, lived in performance. Their titles survive because her verses were sung and recited widely enough to enter the collective memory of Emirati culture.
“My Lord, The Forgiver” is the prayer poem with the clearest public footprint: it was recited at the major honour event held for her on 28 November 2011 — the same date Google would later choose for her 2022 Doodle. A prayer poem chosen for a state-level tribute says everything about how she was seen: not just a poet of love and nostalgia, but a voice of devotion.
Why Her Poems Endure
Three things have kept Ousha’s verse alive beyond her lifetime:
- They were sung. When Jaber Jassem, Ali bin Rogha and Mehad Hamad set her words to music, her poems entered popular culture — reaching listeners who might never pick up a poetry collection.
- They were recorded. Her official foundation’s website hosts her poems in her own recorded voice, preserving not just the words but her delivery.
- They were translated. Nadia Khawandanah’s 2024 English translation The Girl of the Arabs and Dr. Ana Stjelja’s 2026 monograph FATAT AL ARAB: A Woman’s Voice from the Desert carry her work to readers who will never hear the original Arabic.
The Themes She Wrote About
Her official biography groups her work into five themes:
- Love — tender, often nostalgic verse on longing and devotion
- Wisdom — reflective poems drawing on a lifetime of observation
- Nostalgia — longing for the desert life and world of her youth
- Praise — including her celebrated praise of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
- Patriotism — verse honouring her homeland and its leaders
Her poems were written in classical Arabic, carrying the Nabati spirit she had mastered — the vernacular poetic tradition of the Gulf that she, more than any other woman of her century, came to embody. For the full picture of that tradition, see what Nabati poetry is.
The Singers Who Performed Her Poems
Ousha’s words travelled far beyond the printed page. Her verses were set to music and performed by celebrated singers:
- Jaber Jassem
- Ali bin Rogha
- Mehad Hamad
That her poetry was sung — not merely read — speaks to its musicality and its place in popular Emirati culture. A poem that lives in song reaches people who may never open a book of verse. It is also worth noting the timeline: her verses were being performed by major singers while she was still an active, celebrated figure — the songs and the state honours (the Abu Dhabi Award in 2009, the 2011 events) belong to the same late-career flowering.
The Singers in Context
The three named singers represent the popular-music channel through which Nabati verse has traditionally reached mass audiences in the Gulf. Poetry set to music is one of the oldest distribution systems in Arab culture — older than print — and Ousha’s work travelled through it naturally. Her poems’ themes of love, longing and praise are the classic subjects of the sung qasida tradition.
How to Read Her Work Today
Her first poetry collection was published in 1990 by the poet Hamad Bin Khalifa Bou Shehab, with a second edition in 2000. Since then, several works have made her poetry more accessible:
- The official biography by Dr. Rafia Ghubash (2011)
- Bahr Ousha: Diving into the Poetry of Fatat Al Arab by Mu’ayyad Al Sheibani (Al Owais Cultural Foundation, 2019)
- The English translation The Girl of the Arabs by Nadia Khawandanah, released at the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature 2024
- The 2026 scholarly monograph FATAT AL ARAB: A Woman’s Voice from the Desert by Dr. Ana Stjelja
Her official foundation’s website also hosts poems in her own recorded voice — hearing Fatat Al Arab recite her own lines is the closest thing to sitting in the room with her. For her life story, read the full Ousha Al Suwaidi biography, and for the story of her global recognition, see why Google honoured her with a Doodle.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Ousha Al Suwaidi’s famous poems?
Her most widely cited poems are “Salmeen Radaif”, “Al-Shamoot Yamoot” and the prayer poem “My Lord, The Forgiver”. Her official foundation describes her most important poem as one in praise of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
Which singers sang Ousha Al Suwaidi’s poems?
Celebrated singers Jaber Jassem, Ali bin Rogha and Mehad Hamad all performed poems set to her verses, carrying her poetry into song and popular Emirati culture.
What themes did Ousha Al Suwaidi write about?
Her official biography groups her work into five themes: love, wisdom, nostalgia, praise and patriotism. Her praise poems for the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) remained closest to her heart.
Where can I read Ousha Al Suwaidi’s poems in English?
The English translation “The Girl of the Arabs” by Nadia Khawandanah was released at the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature in 2024. Her official foundation’s website also hosts her poems in her own recorded voice.
In what language did she write?
Her official foundation describes her poems as written in classical Arabic, composed in the Nabati spirit — the vernacular poetic tradition of the Gulf that she mastered.