Hossein Gol-e-Golab

Hossein Gol-e-Golâb (; 1895 – 13 March 1985), also known as Hoseyn Golgolâb , was an Iranian polymath, scholar and musician. He is best known as the author of the lyrics to "Ey Iran".

Gol-e-Golâb was born in Tehran, and studied at the Elmiya School and Dar al-Fonun.

Gol-e-Golâb never lost his interest in music, finding time to translate Western operas into Persian while teaching and writing on botany and serving on the Academy of Persian Language and Literature, to which he was appointed in 1935.

Ey Iran

The anthem was created during World War II. In September 1941, Allied forces occupied Iran following the Anglo-Soviet invasion that overthrew Reza Shah. Hossein Gol-e-Golab was inspired to write a poem on Iranian nationalism when he saw Allied flags waving from an Iranian military barracks in Tehran. That image strengthened his resolve to compose a patriotic piece reflecting Iranian spirit in spite of the occupation.

According to Gol-e-Golab, a confrontation between a British soldier and an Iranian officer further encouraged him to write the poem. Khaleghi later set it to music, and Banan recorded the vocal performance.

Gol-e-Golab later said:

During the transitional period in the immediate aftermath of the 1979 Iranian Revolution, the composition briefly served as the country's de facto national anthem under the interim government.