Prince Hassan hails contributions of Spanish Arabist García Gómez

AMMAN — HRH Prince Hassan on Wednesday praised the work of Spanish Arabist, historian and translator Emilio García Gómez, noting that “his translations encompassed not solely the words, but the culture and the spirit that they carry with them, letting them travel and permeate in the Western world.”

The remarks came during a conference titled “Emilio García and Al Andalus”, held under the patronage of Prince Hassan, and organised by the Royal Institute for Interfaith Studies, the embassy of Spain, Cervantes Institute, the Arab Thought Forum and the Abdul Shoman Foundation. 

“Studies like those conducted by García Gómez and conferences like the one we celebrate right now are urgently needed, for their purpose is to confront our reality and build an understanding, remembering that we were once united and building the way to the resurrection of the Hispano-Arabic identity,” the prince said.

The renowned Arabist dedicated most of his research to Al Andalus, with major contributions in the areas of literature, history and Hispano-Arabic ties. 

The conference was imparted by Complutense University of Madrid cathedratic María Jesús Viguera, who highlighted the works of García Gómez on classic Andalusian poetry, kharajât and muwašahat.

“Al Andalus is an inevitable topic for Spanish writers, as it is essential to the definition of the Spanish national identity,” Viguera said.

"The work of García Gómez served to inspire the writers of the Generation 27 in Spain, including authors such as García Lorca and Rafael Alberti, Viguera added." 

Viguera also stressed that the work of the Spanish Arabists School, which was initiated by Pascual de Gayangos, gave Al-Andalus the appellative of the “the Muslim Spain”.