Farid od Din Attar was born in Nishapur_Iran and lived about 1119-1220 (Another source mentions he lived about 1136-1230).

Attar took his name from his occupation. He was a druggist, perfumist and a doctor in addition to being a poet. Attar saw as many as 500 patients a day in his shop where he prescribed herbal extraction/medicine which he made himself. In his shop, he also wrote while seeing patients.

He lived close to 100 years and was killed by the Mongol invaders. His tomb is in Nishapur. Attar is one of the most ancient poets of Persia. His work has been the inspiration of Rumi and many other mystic poets of Persian Empire. Rumi considered Attar the spirit and Sanai the eyesight, both of whom were his poetic masters.

Attar met Rumi at the end of his life when Rumi was only a boy and gave his book Asrarnameh as a present to him.

The more a man or woman knows,
the greater the bewilderment, the closer
to the sun the more dazzled, until a point
is reached where one no longer is.- Atar

It's better to keep your breath cold.
Hold it, like a diver does in the ocean.
One slight movement, the mirror-image goes.

Don't be dead or asleep or awake.
Don't be anything.

What you most want,
what you travel around wishing to find,
lose yourself as lovers lose themselves,
and you'll be that.
Atar Colman barks

'A lover', said the hoopoe, now their guide,
'Is one in whom all thoughts of self have died;

Those who renounce the self deserve that name;

Righteous or sinful, they are all the same!
Your heart is thwarted by the self's control;
Destroy its hold on you and reach your goal.

Give up this hindrance, give up mortal sight,
For only then can you approach the light.

If you are told: "Renounce our Faith," obey!
The self and Faith must both be tossed away

Blasphemers call such action blasphemy --
Tell them that love exceeds mere piety.

Love has no time for blasphemy or faith,
Nor lovers for the self, that feeble wraith.

Atar Afkham Darbandi and Dick Davis