Memoirs of Rokos Al-Azizi Rokos Al-Azizi
Rokos Al-Azizi was born in the Jordanian city of Madaba in 1903. He belonged to the Christian Al-Azizat clans of Jordan and was a descendant of the Ghassanids. Rokos was educated in Latin schools, worked as a teacher for a while, but soon left teaching to move into literary writing. He died on December 21, 2004. In his honor, the Amman Municipality named one of its streets after him.
His Work
He left school in 1914 at the start of World War I, and was taught at home by two teachers hired by his father; one taught him English and the other French. He began teaching Arabic at the Latin School in Madaba in 1918. When he left it in 1942, he joined the teaching staff at the Terra Sancta College in Jerusalem, teaching Arabic literature until 1948. He returned to teaching in Madaba and continued until 1974.
His Writings
Rokos's life witnessed relative stability after his professional affairs and the state of the country stabilized, especially after the 1930s. He spent 56 years in the field of education, complemented by a significant amount of authorship, collection, and documentation. He was also a journalist, writing for Al-Ahwal and Al-Irfan newspapers in Lebanon, followed by Saut Al-Shaab, Al-Karmel, Al-Jihad in Palestine, and Apollo in Egypt, among many other publications.
His first research publication was in 1956, a book titled 'Prey of Abi Madi,' of which we mentioned a small part. It was followed by 'Madaba and Its Suburbs,' co-authored with Father George Saba, giving due credit to the great Madaba. It was informative and expansive.
His third work was a research titled 'Bedouin Folk Poetry,' published in three parts in the Folk Arts Quarterly.
The largest and most significant of his books was 'Dictionary of Jordanian Customs, Dialects, and Singularities' in 1974. It connected Jordanians with their ancestors, creating a tool that binds Jordanians to their land in an era when Jordanians needed someone to carve a place for each word.
Its companion was the previously mentioned 'Teacher's Book,' 'Register of Jordanian Identity,' covering all aspects of Jordanian life without being overly brief or excessively detailed, making for an easy and insightful read.
Following these significant volumes, several books became landmarks in Jordanian culture, such as 'Nimr Al-Adwan: Poet of Love and Loyalty, His Life and Poetry,' documenting the life of the famous poet using reliable sources from his direct descendants.
This was followed by 'The Shararats: Who They Are - Correcting Historical Misconceptions,' where he acted as an attorney for a case not widely revealed in sources, and then a book documenting Jordanian figures titled 'The Best Writings of Jordanians from 1923-1946'.
"He left us enduring works documenting Jordanian national identity, forming a memory ready to be read by those who have lost their memory, seeing the homeland as a tent in a storm. For those who have not lost their memory, these works offer celebrations, evenings, and glimpses into the clarity and purity of history in their dark days."
Works Produced Dramatically
Among his most important works that were produced as dramas, all directed by Salah Abu Hanoud, are:
• Nimr Al-Adwan.
• Stoning the Stranger.
• Courts Without Prisons.
Awards and Honors
• The Education and Teaching Medal.
• The White Cross Medal.
• King Hussein Jubilee Certificate in Literature, 1977.
• Self-Appreciation Document for his distinguished works, 1982.
• The State Appreciation Award in Literature.
• The Hussein Medal for Distinguished Contribution.
The Royal Jordanian Documentation Center, in cooperation with the Arab Language Academy in Tarim, archived sixty-four notebooks of Rokos Al-Azizi's memoirs, handwritten by him.
