Saadi
By: Avery Medinis, Kyle Haynes, Ubin Jung, Victoria Bauer
The life of Saadi
- C. 1213-1291
- Born in the Persian city of Shiraz
- Real name was Muslihuddim, adopted the pseudonym Saadi to show his appreciation for his royal patron, a local ruler Sa'd bin Zangi
- Educated in Baghdad
- On top of studying at a major university, he was a disciple of several famous religious and mystical teachers
- Spent 3 decades devoted to his education, another 3 decades traveling and composing poetry, another 3 decades in religious seclusion and devoted to revising his poems, and last 10 years taking care of the needy and teaching the ways of Islamic mysticism
- As a writer, he is known mainly for 3 major works: the Bhustan, the Gullistan, and the DIvan.
- Persian-speaking people of all ages still read his works for enjoyment and ethical guidelines in their lives.
- Even now, Saadi is revered for his wit, learning, and elegant style of writing.
The Bustan
- Means "the garden"
- A collection of religious and ethical poems
- Saadi's first work
- Bustan is entirely in verse, consists of stories illustrating the standard virtues
- Recommended to Muslims (justice, liberality, modesty, contentment).
The Gulistan
- Means "rose garden"
- A book of fables
- Contains stories and personal anecdotes.
- A wide variety of short poems, containing aphorisms, advice, and humorous reflections are sprinkled in there.
- Saadi demonstrates an awareness of the absurdity of human existence.
The Divan
- Means "collection of poems"
- Contains many odes, and a few light/humorous poems
Famous Quotes
- “Whoever has his foe at his mercy, and does not kill him, is his own enemy”
- "He who learns the rules of wisdom, without conforming to them in his life, is like a man who labored in his fields, but did not sow”
- “A scholar without diligence is a lover without money”
- "A man is insensible to the relish of prosperity 'till he has tasted adversity."