MAA Honouring Charbel Baini

By Anthony Khouri OAM

President - Mejdlaya Association Australia
Consul General of Bungladesh

In his 1961 inauguration speech, United States President John F. Kennedy immortalised the following words. ''Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.''
In actual fact these words were those of the great Lebanese Poetic genius of Mr. Gibran Khalil Gibran.
With the full knowledge of the enormous, positive impact people from Lebanon have made and continue to make around the world, it gives me much pleasure to state that we the people from Mejdlaya, North Lebanon, are very proud of the fact that we also have our very own poetic and literary genius who is firmly stamping his mark on the literary world and whom I am not afraid to say, is in the same ilk as the famous Gibran Khalil Gibran.
This is a very special person who is very dear to our hearts and who over many, many years, has been recognised, applauded and awarded countless times around the world for his extraordinary work in the fine art of poetry and literature.

It is unfortunate that many times those closest to the high achievers of this world are the last to acknowledge their own. This time however, we the Mejdlaya family are extremely proud to acknowledge and honour our very own poetic and literary genius, a man who is very much a Son and an integral part of the Mejdlaya family and a man whom we all hold in the highest regard. He is with us here tonight and that man of course is none other than Mr. Charbel Baini.
Charbel, over the years, we have all listened to your beautiful words and you have touched the hearts of countless people from all walks of life who have been privileged to have read any of your many books or heard you recite your inspiring poetry.
We know that you have been awarded the highest literary awards throughout the Middle East and around the world and you have been the recipient of the greatest accolades from your peers and colleagues, all firmly attesting to your skill and talent; but here tonight, your Mejdlaya Family is going to say something very nice to you in the most simple of terms so that you will always know and understand exactly how we all feel about you and about your work and if your late parents were here tonight, I am sure that they would be even more proud of you now than they ever were before.
Charbel, I would like to say those words by presenting you with this plaque and it reads,
‘The Mejdlaya Association Australia proudly present to Mr. Charbel Baini In recognition of the many years of his extraordinary contribution to the art of Arabic poetry and literature.
Charbel you have made everyone from your home in Mejdlaya and Australia very proud.’
Congratulations and well done.
Anthony and Nabiha Khouri
**
 في خطاب تنصيبه عام 1961، خلد الرئيس الأمريكي جون كينيدي الكلمات التالية:  "لا تسل ما يمكن أن تفعله بلادك من اجلك، بل اسأل ما يمكنك انت القيام به من اجل بلادك".
   في الواقع كانت هذه الكلمات العبقرية اللبنانية العظيمة للفيلسوف جبران خليل جبران.
   مع العلم الكامل بالأثر الإيجابي الهائل الذي حققه الناس من لبنان وما زالوا يصنعونه في جميع أنحاء العالم، فإنه من دواعي سروري أن أقول إننا شعب مجدليا، شمال لبنان، فخورون جدا بأن لدينا أيضا عبقريتنا الشعرية والأدبية التي تختم بصماتها على العالم الأدبي، والتي لا أخاف أن أقول: هي في نفس الوقت مثل جبران خليل جبران الشهير.
   هذا الشخص الخاص جدا، والعزيز جدا على قلوبنا، والذي على مدى سنوات عديدة، قد تم الاعتراف والاشادة به، ومنح الجوائز مرات لا تحصى في جميع أنحاء العالم لعمله المميز في الفنون الجميلة من الشعر والأدب.
   ومن المؤسف أن الأقرب لهؤلاء المبدعين في هذا العالم هم آخر المعترفين بإبداعهم.  ولكننا في هذه المرة سنكون فخورين جدا بأن نعترف ونكرم عبقرية الشعر الأدبي الخاصة بنا، وهو رجل كبير جدا، وجزء لا يتجزأ من عائلة مجدليا، ورجل نعتز به جميعا . إنه معنا الليلة، وهذا الرجل ليس سوى الشاعر شربل بعيني.
   شربل، على مر السنين، كنا نستمع إلى كلماتك الجميلة، التي لامست قلوب الناس في  جميع مناحي الحياة، أولئك الذين استمتعوا بقراءة العديد من كتبك، أو استمعوا اليك وانت تلقي أشعارك الملهمة..
   نحن نعلم أنك حصلت على أعلى الجوائز الأدبية في جميع أنحاء الشرق الأوسط وحول العالم، وخاصة من زملائك وزميلاتك، اثباتاً لمهاراتك ومواهبك. 
   وها نحن في هذه الليلة، أسرتك المجدلاوية، نحن أن نقول لك شيئا لطيفا جدا، وفي أبسط المصطلحات، كي تعلم بالضبط كيف نشعر تجاهك وتجاه ادبك. ولو كان والداك الراحلان معنا الليلة، أنا واثق من أنهما سيكونان أكثر فخراً بك الآن مما كنت عليه من قبل.
   شربل، على هذه اللوحة كلمات أحب أن أقرأها لك:
   جمعية مجدليا أستراليا، تقدم هذه اللوحة وبكل فخر، إلى الشاعر شربل بعيني تقديرا له على مساهمته غير العادية في مجالات الشعر والأدب. 
   شربل.. لقد جعلتنا جميعاً في مجدليا وأستراليا فخورين جداً بك.
  تهانينا وأحسنت. 
أنطوني ونبيهة خوري
**
‘Charbel Baini - The Glow of Literature.’
Distinguished Guests All,
Thank you, Betty, for your invitation to attend this book launch. ‘Charbel Baini - The Glow of Literature.’
It gives me great pleasure to stand here before you to acknowledge Dr. Bahia Abou-Hamad as the Author of this book and to acknowledge our very own Charbel Baini, a true son of Mejdlaya.
From the outset I would humbly ask that you and Charbel accept the warmest and most sincere
congratulations
of everyone from Mejdlaya. Firstly, to you Betty for taking the initiative and applying your extraordinary skills and talents to produce this book and to Charbel for his lifelong commitment and dedication to the world of Arabic literature and poetry.
Charbel, your achievements as documented in this book are testament to your literary skills and a great record for the history books of your extraordinary contribution to literature and poetry.
Betty, as you may well know, everyone from Mejdlaya is extremely proud of Charbel’s work and achievements and we thank you most sincerely for your excellent efforts in documenting and preserving Charbel’s story in your book.
I know that it’s a little early in the evening but I would ask another true Son of Mejdlaya Mr. Nassif Abi Khattar to join me on the stage. I would ask Dr. Bahia Abou Hamad and Mr. Charbel Baini to also join me on the stage.
Having said that and on behalf of the entire Executive Board of the Mejdlaya Association Australia, I would ask that both you Betty and Charbel accept these trophies in recognition and positive acknowledgement of today’s very special event and as a token of our esteem.
Congratulations
and very best wishes Betty and Charbel.
Anthony Khouri OAM
Association President.
*************************
The Trophy Plaques read as follows:
Proudly presented
to
Dr. Bahia Abou-Hamad
by
Mejdlaya Association Australia
on the occasion of the launch
of her book
Charbel Baini- The Glow of Literature
18-3-2023
***************
Proudly Presented to
Charbel Baini
Son of Mejdlaya
by
Mejdlaya Association Australia.
In recognition of his extensive contribution
to Arabic Literature and Poetry
Over many years
18-3-2023
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