Jalaluddin Rumi, the love poet

Rumi was born in Balkh, a small town in Afghanistan, on 30 September 1207. Rumi's father was a mystic who kept a diary of his own musings. Rumi studied his father's writings intensively after his father's death. Rumi spoke his poetry spontaneously. It was taken down by scribes and he then later revised it in manuscript. Rumi was married twice. He had two children with his first wife, Gowhar Khatun, who died young. He had two children also with his second wife, Kira Khatun. Rumi formed very deep friendships with a few souls who studied and conversed with him. His friendship with Shams Tabriz inspired his writings until Shams's death in 1248. It was later said that it was impossible to say of Rumi and Shams who was the student and who was the teacher. Rumi also found a friend in Saladin Zarkub, a goldsmith, and later Husam Chelebi, Rumi's scribe. With Husam, Rumi produced the six books of the Masnavi. Rumi died on December 17, 1273. His dying words were, 'Patience, old earth! You'll have your sweet morsel soon!'