Mariam bint Abu Ya'qub Ashshilbi (Arabic: مريم بنت أبي يعقوب الشَّلْبي) was an 8th-century Arabic-language poet of al-Andalus. She was born in Shilb (modern Silves, Portugal) and settled in Seville, where she became a tutor of noblewomen.[1] [2]
Living during the time of the Moors, she has been referred to as the Arabian Sappho. During her time, many women of the Andalusian area cultivated the arts.[3] Some well-preserved examples of her work survive in the library of the Escorial.[3]