Mustafa Wahbi al-Tal

Mustafa Wahbi al-Tal, universally revered by his nom de plume Arar, was born in Irbid in northern Jordan and studied law and literature in Damascus and Beirut. Working as a magistrate and district governor, his outspoken contempt for bureaucratic sycophancy and his defense of impoverished Bedouin and peasant rights led to repeated dismissals and prison terms.

Arar is universally recognized as the pioneer of modern Jordanian literature. Living among the nomadic Domari (Gypsy) tribes of the Jordan Valley, his poetry—collected in Ashiyyat Wadi al-Yabis (Evenings of the Dry Valley)—merged classical Arabic mastery with vibrant Jordanian colloquial idioms, singing of wine, freedom, social rebellion, and the rugged beauty of the Jordanian landscape.