Rudaki

Abu Abd Allah Ja‘far ibn Muhammad Rudaki of Samarkand (858–940) was one of the earliest great poets of the Persian language. A leading poet at the Samanid court, he played so formative a part in the development of Persian verse that he is often called the father of Persian poetry.

Rudaki was born in Panj Rudak, a village near Nakhshab and Samarkand in what is now Tajikistan. Accounts of his eyesight differ. Some historians believe he was blind from birth, while others suggest that he lost his sight later in life.

His remarkable gifts brought him prominence at the court of the Samanid ruler Nasr II, where he enjoyed fame, honour, and considerable wealth. In his final years, however, he lost the favour and patronage of the court and fell on difficult times.

Rudaki eventually returned to his native Panj Rudak, where he died in 941. His surviving work marks a turning point in the history of Persian language and literature, and his influence places him among the earliest and most important voices in Persian poetry.