Ubayd Zakani

Who was Ubayd Zakani?

Nezam od-Din Ubeydollah Zâkâni, or simply Ubayd-i Zākāni, was a Persian poet and satirist of the 14th century from the city of Qazvin. He studied in Shiraz, Iran under the best masters of his day, but eventually moved back to his native town of Qazvin. He however preferred Shiraz to Qazvin, as he was a court poet in Shiraz for Shah Abu Ishaq, where a young Hafez was present as well.

His work is noted for its satire and obscene verses, often political or bawdy, and often cited in debates involving homosexual practices. He wrote the Resaleh-ye Delgosha, as well as Akhlaq al-Ashraf and the famous humorous fable Masnavi Mush-O-Gorbeh, which was a political satire. His non-satirical serious classical verses have also been regarded as very well written, in league with the other great works of Persian literature. He is one of the most remarkable poets, satirists and social critics of Iran, whose works have not received proper attention in the past. His books are translated into Russian, Danish, Italian, English, and German.