The Sorrows of the Violinist

Abdel Ghaffar Makkawi (1930–2012) was a prominent Egyptian man of letters, philosopher, and translator. He is considered one of the pillars of thought and philosophy in the Arab world and one of the finest translators of thought and literature from German into Arabic. His career was distinguished by a combination of rigorous academic research and creative literary output in short fiction, drama, and criticism.

Makkawi was born in the Belqas district of the Dakahlia Governorate in Egypt. He earned his doctorate in philosophy and modern German literature from the University of Freiburg in Germany in 1962. He served as a professor of the history of Western philosophy at several Arab universities, including Cairo University, the University of Khartoum, Sana'a University, and Kuwait University.

He authored and translated more than 35 books, rendering major philosophical and literary classics into Arabic by leading German thinkers and writers such as Immanuel Kant, Martin Heidegger, Goethe, and Hölderlin. In recognition of his cultural and literary contributions, he received the State Incentive Award in Literature in 1976 and the State Appreciation Award in Arts and Letters from the Supreme Council of Culture in 2003.

Key Works

• Why Philosophy?: A philosophical and critical work highlighting the nature of philosophical thought and its fundamental questions.
• Philosophical Experiences: A book presenting studies and analyses within the realms of philosophy and critical thinking.
• Expressionism in Poetry, Fiction, and Drama: A critical study discussing Expressionism and its literary manifestations across various art forms.
• The Sultan's Son: A short story collection reflecting the author's creative literary side.
• The Pure Lady: A literary work belonging to his output in short stories and drama.
• Sorrows of the Violinist: A literary work representing a dimension of his creative narrative production.
• The Green Horse Dies on the Asphalt Streets: A literary work highlighting the author's creative and narrative vision.
• Tears of the Clown: A literary collection expressing the creative and human experience in his writings.
• Jonah in the Belly of the Whale: A literary work that adds to his narrative and creative writings.
• The Roots of Tyranny: An intellectual book addressing the philosophical and critical analysis of political and social phenomena.