Author: Rūdakī
Alternate names: Абульхасан Рудаки; Рудаки; Rodaki; رودکی
Born: c. 858
Died: 940/41
Dates: active 10th century
Bio: Rudaki (also spelled Rodaki; Persian: رودکی; c. 858 – 940/41) was a poet, singer and musician who is regarded as the first major poet to write in New Persian. A court poet under the Samanids, he reportedly composed more than 180,000 verses, yet only a small portion of his work has survived, most notably a small part of his versification of the Kalila wa-Dimna, a collection of Indian fables.