Said Akl

Said Akl Saýid Ýaql سعيد عقل
Born	4 July 1912 Zahlé, Lebanon
Died	28 November 2014 (aged 102) Beirut, Lebanon
Occupation	Poet, philosopher, writer, playwright, linguist and ideologue

Said Akl (Arabic: سعيد عقل‎‎, saʿīd ʿaql, also transliterated Saïd Akl, Said Aql and Saeed Akl; 4 July 1912 – 28 November 2014) was a Lebanese poet, philosopher, writer, playwright and language reformer. He was considered one of the most important modern Lebanese poets.

He was also an advocate of Lebanese identity and nationalism and the Lebanese language, designing a Latin-based "Lebanese alphabet" made up of 36 letters. His writings include poetry and prose both in Lebanese dialect and in classical Arabic language. He has also written theatre pieces and authored many popular songs.

Akl was born in either 1912 to a Maronite family in the city of Zahle, Lebanon. After losing his father at the age of 15, he had to drop out of school and later worked as a teacher and then as a journalist. He then studied theology, literature and Islamic history, becoming a university instructor and subsequently lecturing in a number of Lebanese universities, educational and policy institutes. He died in Beirut, Lebanon at the age of 102 or 103.

During his early years, Akl was an adherent of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party (in Arabic الحزب السوري القومي الإجتماعي) led by Antun Saadeh, eventually being expelled by Saadeh due to irreconcilable ideological disputes.

Akl adopted a powerful doctrine of the authentic millennial character of Lebanon resonating with an exalted sense of Lebanese dignity. His admiration to the Lebanese history and culture was marked by strong enmity towards an Arab identity of Lebanon. He was quoted saying, “I would cut off my right hand just not to be an Arab”. In 1968 he stated that literary Arabic would vanish from Lebanon.

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