Rahi Mo'ayyeri





Rahi Mo'ayeri (April 30, 1909 – November 15, 1968; Persian: رهی معیری) né: Mohammad Hasan Mo'ayyeri (Persian: محمد حسن معیری), was an Iranian poet and musician.

Rahi Mo'ayyeri, born on April 30, 1909, in Tehran, emerged from a family deeply rooted in the arts and music. His uncle, the renowned Qajar Era poet Foroughi Bastami, was a notable influence. Rahi began his poetic journey at the age of seventeen, adopting "Rahi" as his pen name. He extensively studied Persian literature's great masters, with a particular admiration for Saadi, whose impact is evident in his works.

In addition to his poetry, Rahi was also a talented composer. His collaboration with prominent musicians began in 1941 when he met Rouhollah Khaleghi. From this partnership, Rahi became the lyricist for many of Khaleghi's compositions as well as those of Morteza Mahjoubi, Ali Tajvidi, Hossein Yahaqqi, Moussa Maroufi, and Javad Maroufi. Khaleghi praised Rahi's exceptional skill in aligning words with music.

Rahi's literary contributions include several published collections: Saye-ye Omr (1964; Persian: سایه عمر), Azadeh (1974; Persian:آزاده), and Javdaneh Rahi (1984; Persian: جاودانه رهی). His deep friendship with Davood Pirnia, the founder of the Golha Program, led to significant collaborations with Morteza Khan Mahjoubi on this influential music platform. Many consider the late 1950s and 1960s the golden age of Persian music, a period during which Rahi played a pivotal role.

Following Pirnia's resignation, Rahi took over the management of the Golha Program, continuing until his health declined. Despite the romantic nature of his poetry, Rahi never married. In a 1960 interview with Taghi Rouhani, he famously remarked, "when marriage comes from a door, love will leave from another door."

One of Rahi's final notable works was Golhayeh Rangarang #470, performed by Hayedeh with music composed by maestro Tajvidi. This song is credited with catapulting Hayedeh to fame.

His collection Sayeh Omr (Persian: سایه عمر) (translated "The Shadow of Life") of poems was printed in 1964.

He died on November 15, 1968, in Tehran. He is buried in the Zahir o-dowleh cemetery in the northern parts of Tehran.