Rumi

Jalal ad-Din Muhammad RumiJalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Balkhī, also known as Rūmī, was a 13th-century Persian poet, jurist, theologian, and Sufi mystic. Born: September 30, 1207, Vakhsh, TajikistanDied: December 17, 1273, Konya, TurkeyFull name: Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad BalkhīSpouse: Gowhar Khatun (m. 1225)Parents: Mu'mina Khātūn, Bahā ud-Dīn Walad

Have the aspiration of a falconand the pride of a leopard.At the time of the hunt be graceful,and be victorious at times of war.Don't get too involvedwith the nightingale and the peacock.One is all words and the other allcolours.

Famous As: PoetNationality: Iranian,PersianBorn On: 18 May 1048 Famous 18th May Birthdays Born In: NishapurDied On: 04 December 1131Place Of Death: NishapurEducation: Persian mathematics, Persian poetry, Persian philosophyWorks & Achievements: The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam

Khayyam

Strange, is it not? that of the myriads who

Before us pass'd the door of Darkness through

Not one returns to tell us of the Road,

Which to discover we must travel too.

Persian lyric poet Hafiz (born Khwāja Šamsu d-Dīn Muḥammad Hāfez-e Šīrāzī) grew up in Shiraz. When his father died, he left school to work at a bakery and as a copyist. Hafiz became a poet at the court of Abu Ishak and also taught at a religious college. As the author of numerous ghazals expressing love, spirituality, and protest, he and his work continue to be important to Iranians, and many of his poems are used as proverbs or sayings.

Hafez

The sky

Is a suspended blue ocean.

The stars are the fish

That swim.

The planets are the white whales

I sometimes hitch a ride on,

And the sun and all light

Have forever fused themselves

Into my heart and upon

My skin.

FerdowsiAccording to Nezami, Ferdowsi was a dehqan ("landowner"), deriving a comfortable income from his estates. The Shahnameh of Ferdowsi, a poem of nearly 60,000 couplets, is based mainly on a prose work of the same name compiled in the poet's early manhood in his native Toos. This prose Shahnameh was in turn and for the most part the translation of a Pahlavi (Middle Persian) work, the Khvatay-namak, a history of the kings of Persia from mythical times down to the reign of Khosro II (590-628), but it also contained additional material continuing the story to the overthrow of the Sasanians by the Arabs in the middle of the 7th century.

Much have I labored, much read o'er

Of Arabic and Persian lore,

Collecting tales unknown and known;

Now two and sixty years are flown.

Regret, and deeper woe of sin,

'Tis all that youth has ended in,

And I with mournful thoughts rehearse

Bu Táhir Khusrawáni's verse:

'I mind me of my youth and sigh,

Alas for youth, for youth gone by!'

The story of Rostam and Sohrab

Rostam was a famous warrior and hero in Persia. His horse was stolen. He managed to track the horse to another city where a King ruled. He fell in love with the King’s daughter Tahmineh and they married. But he had to leave and go on a journey. As a gift for his unborn son, he gave an Onyx jewel to Tahmineh to pass to his son. Nine months later Tahmineh gave birth to a son Sohrab. As he got older, he became curious about his father. Tahmineh told him his father was the hero Rostam and gave him his Onyx jewel. Sohrab wanted to leave to fight an evil King.

The Story of Rostam and Sohrab

He also wanted to find his father so they could overthrow the evil king and rule together. The evil king heard of Sohrab’s plans and sent two spies to join his army. He didn’t like Rostam and hoped to bring destruction between father and son. Rostam heard about the war and went to fight Sohrab as Sohrab was too strong for everyone. Rostam though Sohrab was causing chaos not realising that the King was evil. The spies didn’t tell Sohrab his opponent in single combat was Rostam.

The Story of Rostam and Sohrab

However, by the description of his mother, Sohrab guessed his opponent was Rostam. Rostam denied who he was not realising Sohrab was his son even though Sohrab was noble and worthy. Rostam and Sohrab continued fighting until Rostam harmed Sohrab fatally. While Sohrab was dying, Sohrab told his father who he was and Rostam was distraught. Rostam realised he had killed his own son. Rostam found the Onyx jewel underneath the armour. While Sohrab was dying he forgave his father and gave back the jewel. Rostam promised to fulfil Sohrab’s final wishes.