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Saadi was born in Shiraz, Iran
around 1200 A.D. He was one of
the greatest literary figures of
Iran. He was also a Sufi.
It is well-known that Sufis also
retract their spiritual
leadership to the Commander of
the Faithful, Imam Ali (a.s.).
He
was credited with the
masterpieces; Bostan-e-Saadi,
and Golestan-e-Saadi. The
original works were in Persian.
It was translated in different
languages. In
English, one of the translations
were done by Richard Francis
Burton (1821-1892)
Saadi travelled to many
countries. He had expressed his
life time experience in the
above-mentioned books.
The word Bostan in Persian means “The Orchard”. In Bostan, which is
entirely in verse and consisting
of stories aptly illustrating
the Muslim culture; justice,
modesty, contentment etc. The
book has 10 chapters discussing
benevolence, love, humility,
resignation, contentment,
education, gratitude,
repentance, and prayer
The word Golestan means “The Rose Garden”. The Golestan is mainly in prose
containing stories and personal
anecdotes. It has 8 chapters
dealing in manners of kings,
morals of dervishes, excellence
of contents, advantages of
silence, love and youth,
weakness and old age, effects of
education, and rules for conduct
in life.
In chapter 8, there are many maxims and admonitions.
Shaikh Saadi had detailed some 82 Maxims in the chapter “Rules for conduct
in life” in “Golestan”; some of
which are reproduced below:
Knowledge is for the cherishing
religion, not for amassing
wealth.
A learned man, who is not
abstinent, resembles a
torchbearer who guides others
but does not guide himself.
Everyone thinks himself as
perfect in intellect and his
child in beauty.
Whatever takes place quickly is
not permanent.
Affairs succeed by patience and
a hasty man fails.
Whoever associates with bad
people will see no good.
Not everyone who is handsome in
form possesses a good
character.
Transgression by whosoever
committed is blamable but more
so in learned men.
An envious man is avaricious
with the wealth of God and hates
the guiltless as foe.
Mendacity (Lying) resembles a violent blow, the scar of which remains,
though the wound may be healed.
Two men died, bearing away their grief. One had possessed and did not
enjoy it; the other possessed
knowledge and did not practice
it.
Bani Adam: Shaikh Saadi had used this proverb in his poetry. He preached for
the breaking down the barriers
in mankind. In one of such
couplet, he says:
Humans (children of Adam) are inherent parts (or limbs) of one body, and
are from
the same valuable essence in
their creation. When the
conditions of the time hurts one
of these parts, other parts will
be disturbed. If you are
indifferent about the misery of
others, it may not
be appropriate to call you a
human being.
Shaikh Saadi in the West: Andre du Ryer was the first European to present Saadi to the
West, by means of a partial
French translation of Golestan
in 1634 A.D. Adam Olearius
followed soon with the complete
translation of The Bostan and
The Golestan into German in
1654. Alexander Pushkin, one of
Russia’s celebrated poets,
quotes Saadi in his work “as
Saadi sang in his earlier, ‘some
are far distant, some are dead.”
Saadi died in 1291 or 1292 and
was buried in Shiraz, Iran. |
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