Layeq Sherali

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Layeq Sherali (1941–2000) was a Tajik poet and Iranologist, considered one of the most celebrated Persian-language writers in Tajikistan and Central Asia. Born on May 20, 1941, in Mazar-e Sharif (then part of the Tajik SSR), he was an expert in classical Persian poetry, inspired by Ferdowsi, Omar Khayyam, and Rumi. He translated many literary works into Persian and led the Tajik-Persian Language International Foundation in Central Asia. He was often called the Shah-Poet of Tajikistan. His work was published in Iran, with a selected collection in 1994 and another collection, “Rakh’s Spirit,” in 1999 by Mirzo Shakurzoda. An excerpt from one of his famous poems about identity reads: “Once you said you’re Iranian, then you said you’re Tajik,” a reminder that true origin cannot be erased. He died on June 30, 2000, in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, at the age of 59. He is also known by spellings such as Laiq, Laeq, or Loiq.