Shaaban Robert (1909 – 1962) was born in a village near Tanga on the northern coast of Tanzania. His name is practically synonymous with poetry in modern-day Tanzania. In addition to his massive body of Swahili verse (much of it highly didactic), he wrote many craft essays, an autobiography, a biography of Siti Binti Saad, and translated the Rubaiyat into Swahili. He worked as a civil servant in the colonial government for most of his life and supported TANU (Tanganyikan African National Union) in the struggle for independence.