With historically very early vegans (i.e. pre-1940s) one of
the big questions that comes up is: Where did they get their vitamin B12? The
likely answer, I suspect, is that they were not strictly vegan but rather followed a more or less vegan ovo-lacto-vegetarian or other type of plant-based
diet.
In any case, Al-Ma’arri who lived in Syria (and what is now Lebanon, Turkey and Iraq) around 1000 A.D. (common era) and who is a widely celebrated writer was the earliest of all early "vegans" (semi-vegans) - the earliest I know of. His endorsement of vegan ideas and ideals and of a vegan lifestyle already one thousand years ago are astonishing and applaudable.
In any case, Al-Ma’arri who lived in Syria (and what is now Lebanon, Turkey and Iraq) around 1000 A.D. (common era) and who is a widely celebrated writer was the earliest of all early "vegans" (semi-vegans) - the earliest I know of. His endorsement of vegan ideas and ideals and of a vegan lifestyle already one thousand years ago are astonishing and applaudable.
The following lines have been widely quoted in the
"vegan movement" in recent years, but I recently came across the
original Arabic together with the English translation ... and I thought someone
somewhere (Arabic-speaking world) might end up finding it useful. Note that
Al-Ma’arri was also a staunch critic of religion and quite pessimistic about
life in general, so you might want to be careful to whom you will cite his
writings.
Original Arabic:
Original Arabic:
English translation:
Or the white (milk) of mothers who intended its pure draught for their young, not noble ladies.
And do not grieve the unsuspecting birds by taking their eggs; for injustice is the worst of crimes.
And spare the honey which the bees get betimes by their industry from the flowers of fragrant plants;
For they did not store it that it might belong to others, nor did they gather it for bounty and gifts.
I washed my hands of all this […]."
Reference
(Updated 31 May 2020)
Nicholson, Reynold Alleyne (1921): Studies in Islamic poetry. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Available online at https://archive.org/details/studiesinislamic00nichuoft/page/258/mode/2up (Arabic), and https://archive.org/details/studiesinislamic00nichuoft/page/134/mode/2up (English), checked on 31 May 2020.
(Al-Maarri, Al-Maari, Almaarri, Almaari, Al Maarri, Al Maari)