Ubayd-I Zakani

Born around the end of the 13th century; died between 1366 and 1370. Persian satirist. Born into an impoverished noble Arab family.

Ubayd-i Zakani entered the government service, but later he engaged only in literary work. In the satirical treatise The Ethics of the Nobility (1340) he criticized the moral principles of contemporary society. He was the author of the parodic treatise One Hundred Pieces of Advice (1349), the satirical dictionary encyclopedia Definitions, and the verse tale “The Mouse and the Cat,” which ridicules the priesthood and the nobility. Zakani earned his place in literature as a satirist who turned laughter into a striking social weapon. He also wrote lyric poetry and the collection of humorous anecdotal tales A Book to Please the Heart.