TEHRAN – Poet Hossein Ahi who was well-known for his religious compositions and the literary programs created for the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), died on Tuesday. He was 66.

The poet was suffering from cancer of the lymph nodes for the past few years, his son Hafez told the Persian news agencies on Tuesday evening.

Ahi was born in 1953 in Tehran. He was interested in different languages of Arabic, Middle Persian (Pahlavi) and German. 

He published his first book of poetry under the title “Rhythms of the Persian Language” when he was only 18.

His first TV program was also named “Caravan of Poetry and Music” which was aired on IRIB Channel 2 in the 2000s. 

“Watching the Secret” was his popular radio program for several years.

“Dictionary of Literary Phrases”, “Principles of the Persian Language” and “Study of Khayyam” are among his noteworthy credits. 

Photo: Poet Hossein Ahi in an undated photo.

RM/MMS/YAW