Nasib Arida

Nasib Arida was born in Homs and received his early education at the Russian Teachers Seminary in Nazareth before emigrating to the United States in 1905, settling in New York City. In 1913, he founded the groundbreaking avant-garde Arabic literary journal Al-Funoon, which served as the experimental crucible for modern Arabic literature.

In 1920, Arida co-founded the New York Pen League with Gibran, Naimy, and Abu Madi, drafting its bylaws. His sole published poetry collection, Al-Arwah al-Ha'irah (Perplexed Souls), published just days before his death, is celebrated for its melancholic introspection, lyrical delicacy, and revolutionary modernism.