The poet and painter Sohrab Sepehri was born in 1928 in Kashan, Iran. He worked in several government agencies while pursuing his personal interests in poetry and painting. During these years he also traveled frequently to Europe and Africa. In 1964 he resigned his government position to focus on poetry and painting. He lived in the U.S. for one year, and subsequently spent about two years in Paris. He died in 1980.