The Greatsبزرگان

c. 940–1020 · Tus, KhorasanDraft

The poet of the Shahnameh, the national epic of Iran, credited with keeping the Persian language and its old stories alive.

• In the Name of the Lord of Soul and WisdomEpic
• Whoever Knows Is StrongEpic

1048–1131 · NishapurDraft

Mathematician and astronomer of Nishapur, known to the world for quatrains on time, wine and doubt.

• Grass by the StreamRubai
• The Circle of Coming and GoingRubai
• The Cloud Wept on the GrassRubai
• The Potter in the BazaarRubai
• The World Will RemainRubai
• This Caravan of LifeRubai
• This Jug Was a LoverRubai

c. 1141–c. 1209 · GanjaDraft

The master of the Persian verse romance, whose Khamsa gave the world Layli and Majnun and Khosrow and Shirin.

c. 1145–c. 1221 · NishapurDraft

Druggist of Nishapur and author of The Conference of the Birds, the great allegory of the soul's journey.

• The Seven ValleysMasnavi
• The Thirty BirdsMasnavi

1207–1273 · Balkh to KonyaDraft

Jalal al-Din, called Mowlana in Iran, the mystic poet of Konya and one of the most read poets in any language.

• From Mineral to AngelMasnavi
• Ramadan Has ComeGhazal
• The Elephant in the DarkMasnavi
• The Song of the ReedMasnavi
• Where Are You Going?Ghazal

c. 1210–1291 · ShirazDraft

The moralist of Shiraz, whose Golestan has taught Persian prose to every generation since.

• In the Name of the Creator of SoulsMasnavi
• The Children of AdamQit'a

c. 1315–1390 · ShirazDraft

The supreme master of the ghazal, whose Divan is found in nearly every Iranian home.

• A nightingale held a rose petalGhazal
• A star shone outGhazal
• At dawn the nightingale told the breezeGhazal
• At dawn they set me freeGhazal
• Bitter wine to fell a manGhazal
• Breeze, tell that graceful gazelleGhazal
• Come, Sufi, the cup is a clear mirrorGhazal
• Come, let us scatter rosesGhazal
• Come, the palace of hope is frailGhazal
• Curls dishevelled, flushed and laughingGhazal
• Do not fault the rendsGhazal
• Good news: the east wind has returnedGhazal
• Happy ShirazGhazal
• I said, I grieve for youGhazal
• If that Shirazi TurkGhazal
• In the beginning, Your beauty's rayGhazal
• Lost Joseph will returnGhazal
• Love Seemed Easy at FirstGhazal
• My eye is your nestGhazal
• My heart slips from my handGhazal
• None so frenzied in the tavern of the magiGhazal
• Now the rose holds a cupGhazal
• O king of the fairGhazal
• Remember the day of unionGhazal
• Saqi, light up our cupGhazal
• The cup of Jamshid was withinGhazal
• The old world will grow young againGhazal
• The preachers in the pulpitGhazal
• We have come to this door for refugeGhazal
• We hoped for friendship from friendsGhazal
• Where is right conduct, and where am I?Ghazal
• Whoever keeps faith with God's peopleGhazal
• Your beauty took the worldGhazal