Ubayd Zakani

عبید زاکانی

1302–1371

Khwaja Nizam al-Din Ubaydullah Zakani was a renowned Persian poet and satirist of the eighth century AH. He belonged to the Zakaniyan family, a branch of Arabs who had migrated to Qazvin and settled there. In response to the social conditions of his time, he turned to satire and used both his verse and prose as a means of attacking incorrect customs and habits, as well as the corruption and faults of a particular class of society. He died around the years 771 and 772 AH. Among his notable works are the masnavi Ushshaq-nama, the book Akhlaq al-Ashraf, the Rish-nama, Sad Pand, Lata'if va Zara'if, the Risala-yi Dilgusha, and finally his famous poem Mush o Gorbeh (The Mouse and the Cat).