Jalal al-Din Rumi was a poet, scholar, and teacher born in Balkh in modern-day Afghanistan. It is believed that Rumi began writing poetry in the middle of his life after a friend was driven out of the city, particularly in the form that became known as the whirling dervish. His notable works include Diwan-e Shams-e Tabiz (The Collected Poems of Shams), Mathnawi (Spiritual couplets), Fihe ma fih (Discourses), Majales-e sab’a, and Maktubat.
Information from the Poetry Foundation.