Laila Akhyaliyya Biography

Layla Bint Abullah Bin Shaddad Bin Ka’b Al Akheeliyya, or simply Layla Al Akheeliyya was a famous seventh century Arab poet who was renowned for her poetry, eloquence, strong personality as well as her beauty.

er strong personality and fame gave her access to the courts of the Umayyads and others, she was also known for some animosity between her and another renowned poet, Al-Nabigha Al Ju’di.

She was one of the few[citation needed] early female Arab poets who dared to speak of her love in public. What made it even more daring was that she was married to another. Nevertheless love poetry was not her only genre as her poems were diverse in subjects although she avoided politics. This helped her to continue her relations with politically influential people despite changing times and powers.

Her poetry was often compared to that of Al-Khansa, who is much more famous but many critics believe [weasel words] that Layla had wider imagery since she was not confined to the desert, used more than one genre and did not confine herself to one subject. Her poetry also contained some philosophical aspects and wisdom, usually attributed to her extensive travel within the region. On the other hand, Layla depended highly on her poetry for income where she was awarded with money for some poems, and her poetry provided her with connections to rich and powerful people while Al-Khansa depended on her family’s traditional pastoralism.

She died in 704 near the city of Samawa in Iraq while traveling.