Baba Taher

He was born in Hamadan. The exact dates of his birth and death are not known and no clear and precise information are available about his family, the means of livelihood, and the way of acquiring his knowledge and mystical trend. What has come down to us about him is confined to his mystical and dervish way of life. Baba was a nickname given to the people who lived a pious life, and he was called “Oryan” (lit. naked) because of being totally cut off from worldly attachments.

Baba Taher lived anonymously in Hamedan and he is known to us mainly for his sweet and charming couplets. Baba Taher’s couplets are mostly in the local dialect and many Lori words are employed in them. Baba Taher’s couplets have been translated into several living languages of the world.

Baba Taher loved God Almighty, nature, and being human. He has repeatedly spoken about the beautiful mountains, plains, and rivers of Iran, the good behavior and morality, and the praise to God Almighty in his poems. In addition to his heart-inspiring couplets, Baba Taher has two poems and a few ghazals in the Lori dialect. He has also left behind a collection of short sayings in Arabic and a book entitled “Saranjam” (lit. Final Destiny).

Baba Taher Oryan died in the city of Hamadan in the middle of the fifth century AH/12^th century CE and at the age of 85. His tomb is located in the northern part of the city of Hamadan in a large square named after him. There is also a building in the city of Khorramabad, which is named after Baba Taher and is believed to be Baba Taher’s birthplace by some people.