Yusuf al-Khal

Yusuf al-Khal (Arabic: يوسف الخال‎; December 25, 1917 – March 9, 1987) was a Lebanese poet of Syrian descent. He made his career largely in Lebanon. He was Greek Orthodox. He married the Syrian artist Maha Bayrakdar in 1970. Maha was a well-known painter in Damascus and she worked for several years in Lebanese media. They had two children Yusuf and Ward, who later became popular TV stars in Lebanon.

With Ali Ahmad Said (a.k.a. Adonis), al-Khal founded the magazine Shi'r ("Poetry") in Beirut in 1957. His poetry has also been recognized in Near East poetry collections. (Nye, 76)

al-Khal married Helen Khal whom they together had Tarek and Jawad. In 1970, he married Maha Bayrakdar and had Ward and Yusuf.

• al-Khal, Yusuf. The Flag of Childhood: Poems from The Middle East. “The Deserted Well” Ed. Naomi Shihab Nye. New York: Aladdin, 1998.76.