ʿArib, singer, poet, and courtesan, belonged to a small circle of elite female cultural figures in ninth-century Iraq, the central province of the Abbasid Empire. Medieval Arabic sources provide a sketch of her life and career. Of slave origin, and trained in the literary arts, she is said to have participated fully in the salon-type culture of Baghdad and Samarra, the two imperial capitals. The sources also comment on her outspoken character; her close relations with political and cultural notables; and her skills as a vocalist, instrumentalist, and composer.