Arabic Poets
The poet Rumi (1200's)
Arabic poetry has a long tradition in the Arabian
peninsula even before the development of Islam.
People composed and recited long poems that they remembered without
writing down. As soon as written Arabic became
common in the 700's AD, poets began publishing
in every corner of the Islamic Empire.
One of the most famous of these poets is Omar Khayyam. Khayyam wrote in the 1100's AD. He may have been a follower of Sufi Islam, which is focused on the relationship between the individual and God. In any case, Khayyam's short poems remain difficult to interpret.
Rumi is another famous poet from the Islamic Empire. He wrote in the 1200's AD, a little before Dante in Europe. Rumi was certainly a follower of Sufi Islam. His poems are mainly about how love can connect people with God.
Here's a reading of one of Rumi's poems:
