The Gulistan is among the most famous works of Persian literature by one of Persia's greatest poets, Muslih-uddin Sa'di Shirazi. Born in Shiraz sometime between 1184 and 1210 CE, Sa'di received his education in Baghdad and spent several decades in travel and pilgrimage. In 1256, Sa'di returned to Shiraz. He wrote the Gulistan in 1258, the same year that the Mongols sacked Baghdad.The Gulistan or Rose Garden of Sa'di, intended as a 'mirror for princes,' includes prose didactic tales interspersed with short verses. The book is divided into eight parts: The Manners of Kings, The Morals of Dervishes, The Excellence of Contentment, The Advantages of Silence, Love and Youth, Weakness and Old Age, The Effects of Education, and Rules for Conduct in Life.This classic translation by Edward Rehatsek has been edited and updated with a new introduction by David Rosenbaum.
This masterpiece of Persian literature is a fascinating glimpse into the origins of one of the world's most venerable cultural traditions. Penned by one of the foremost Persian thinkers of the early medieval era, The Gulistan of Sa'di is a whirlwind tour through the political and intellectual issues of the period, ranging from advice for rulers to debates over different religious practices.
The truly renowned and highly esteemed Persian poet Sa'di produced in A.D. 1258 a work that he called The Gulistan; or, Rose-Garden, whose leaves, as he says, "cannot be touched by the tyranny of autumnal blasts, and the delights of whose spring the vicissitudes of time will be unable to change into the inconstancy of autumn..."And so it has proved to be. It is read with admiration and rapture both in Asia and Africa, while in Europe it has been translated into Latin, English, French, German, and Dutch.In Persian and other Eastern countries where Persian is spoken and understood, quotations from Sa'di are constantly used in society, and are also current amont the people.Sheikh Muslih-uddin Sa'di Shirazi was born at Shiraz about A.D. 1193, and after his education at the college of Baghdad, became a Dervish and a great traveler. European scholars have long since appreciated and admired his style, his language, and his witty and telling similitudes.
Join with Sádi and his Reflection of Magical Words همانا که در فارس انشای من چو مشک است بی قیمت اندر ختن گل آورد سعدی سوی بوستان به شوخی و فلفل به هندوستان In Persia, my writings are, doubtless, thought nice; As musk is in Cathay esteemed beyond price. To the garden brought Sádi, with boldness, a rose, As they do spice to India, where spice freely grows. Musleh al-Din Bin Abdallah Saadi Shirazi (1210–1291), is one of the greatest classical Persian poets of all time, whose beauty of speech and eloquentness in order and prose has a worldwide reputation and is the language of all. Saadi's speeches about moral principles and Gnosticism is very beautiful and attractive, his ideas and style are highly original and so far, no one has been able to sing so beautifully. The great poet's books have also been translated into European languages, to the point that some believe that Europe recognized Persian literature with Sadi’s poems. His works have long been taught in schools as a source of Persian language teaching, and many of the proverbs common in Persian have been adapted from his works. Bustan is one of the masterpieces of Persian literature, in the old versions of Sadi Nameh. The book was written during his travels to different parts of the world and includes 183 stories in ten chapters about virtues such as justice, kindness, love, modesty, freedom, generosity, satisfaction, and happiness, and Darvish conscience practices that refer to all people for a better and happier life. The stories of The Bustan are not the same in terms of complexity and structure, some have a more complex fictional structure and include many events and persons, while others are simple and in the same way as the story. The Bustan can be considered as a moral and educational book in which Sádi describes his utopia. The translation appearing in this book is by G. S. Davie M.D. in 1882. Translation of poetry from one language into another is notoriously difficult. It is conceivably more demanding in the instance of classical Persian poetry than in many other traditions. Separately from the simulated loss of metre and rhyme, many of the literary devices – imagery, metaphor, punning, and so on – are also lost in the process. Bustan is a precious learning resource for Persian language learners or Persian literature students. Not only will poems improve your Persian language, but they’ll help your understanding of Persian culture and literature. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said: ‘The word Sádi means “fortunate”. He inspires in the reader a good hope.’ Published by: Persian Learning Center www.persianbell.com
Born in Shiraz, Iran, in 1184, Saadi is considered one of the greatest Persian poets of all time. Saadi's two books, the poetic Bostan, or Orchard (in 1257), and the prose Gulistan, the Rose Garden (in 1258), are regarded as supreme accomplishments of Persian literature. The Persian literature and culture are deeply indebted to Saadi's publications. The Gulistan (The Rose Garden) is a landmark of Persian literature, and one of the most influential works of prose in Persian. Written in 1258 CE, it is considered as one of the greatest medieval Persian poets. The Gulistan is a collection of stories and poems, just as a rose-garden is a collection of roses. The translation appearing in this book is provided by Edward Rehatsek in 1888. This bilingual book can be useful for students and enjoyable for poetry lovers of any age. Not only will poems and stories improve your Persian language, but they'll help your understanding of Persian culture. Students will have ample opportunities to enrich their Persian learning experience and extend a range of language abilities through exploring these poems. The English - Persian Glossary at the end of the book can help Persian students better understand keywords in the poems.
