Saadi Shirazi-Life and Work

Saadi Shirazi, was a great poet of Farsi and the author of Bostaan and Golestan. He lived in 12^th century AD, in the city of Shiraz, Persia (Iran).

Full name and Family of Saadi:

Saadi, born in an educated and respected family in 1200 AD (615 AH), in the city of Shiraz, Iran. His full name was Sheikh Abu Mohammad Musleh al-Din Saadi Shirazi. He is popularly known as Saadi (سعدی), Sadi, or Saadi Shirazi. His father, Saad-ud-Din Abdollah, was in the state service during the reign of King Atabak Saad Bin Zangi.

Saadi, in his early age of childhood lost his father. It was quite a painful and big loss to him. But, he continued his basic study in Shiraz supported by his loving uncle.

Education of Saadi:

After the basic schooling from his native city of Shiraz, he went to the city of Baghdad (Iraq), to pursue higher education from Nizamiyeh University. The Nizamiyeh university was one of the world’s renowned centers of higher education in those days.

He completed his higher education in literature, history, Arabic literature, science, Islam, theology and Hadith. He lived for a considerable long time there, and he loved Baghdad, as he mentions in some of his couplets.

Saadi Shirazi Travels long:

After his education from Baghdad, Saadi kept on writing and undertook a long journey to travel and explore different regions and countries. While wandering and exploring, he visited Anatolia, Egypt, Syria, whole of Iraq, and other Central Asian countries. While this tour, he came into contact with a variety of cultures, society, people, language, traditions and various belief systems.

He also met scholars of different school of thoughts, priest, yogis, dervish, merchants and common people during his travel. He visited Mecca and Medina and performed Haj, and visited other gulf countries too. During his travel to India, he encountered the rich, diverse and different cultures and religions existing side by side. This was one of the unique experiences to the poet during his travels.

That’s what a popular proverb; an Iranian believes in, even today, “Travels make a man more mature”.

Saadi had love for all human and humanity due to his fine brought up from the very childhood. However, he loved to explore different cultures directly through his tours. It seems that such a diverse exposure of different cultures during his voyages provided an in-depth richness to his personality and scholarship.

• You may like also to read about Qutub Minaret, a world heritage site (tour) in New Delhi, India.

His higher education in Islam with his tours had shaped his worldview, respecting all people, cultures, religions without any discrimination and lacking any obsession of superiority or inferiority. He even propagates the values to people during his last decades in Shiraz. He spoke to people to respect all human and humanity to live in co-existence. That’s what makes him great and incredible human being.

Some of the scholars opined that, Saadi Shirazi had learned as many as 12 to 15 languages. This list of languages may be due to his longer travels of different countries undertaken. But his mastery was in Persian and Arabic language and literature.

Saadi preaches values to people:

Saadi loved to share his knowledge, writings, poems and experiences with people and advising them directly through peoples’ gatherings. It may be said that preaching through sermons to public gathering by Saadi was pravachan sort of act, popular in India.

When Saadi returns to his native city of Shiraz, after his education and long and diverse travels, he starts to share his knowledge on daily basis. He exchanges his ideas through people’s gathering, belonging to all segments of society. He preaches to farmers, merchants, preachers, ascetics, students, teachers, and even to thieves and robbers. This exchange of ideas was based on moral values and encouraging people for good deeds, respect, peace and justice through his poems, texts, stories, and quotes from Islam.

Saadi belonged to the group of few world renowned scholars, having command over both poem and poetry form. He composed beautiful lyrics, qasidas and ghazals in Persian language using some Arabic words in, too. His most celebrated works in Persian language are (amongst few works the literary masterpieces of world) Bostan (The Orchard) and Golestan (the Rose Garden). These two literary jewels are popularly known as “Bostaane Saadi” and “Golestane Saadi”.

• Also read about the facts of Jama Masjid, a historical big mosque built in New Delhi.

Bostan of Saadi:

Bostaan (بوستان), Bostan or Bustan (the Orchard) is purely in verse form (poetry) in is of high literary value, completed in 1257 CE. He dedicated Bostan to his favorite ruler named Saad Bin Abu Bakar Bin Saad Zangi. Even the pen name of poet Saadi has been derived from the name of same king. Saadi was from the city of Shiraz, therefore, he is called as Shirazi (شیرازی) as well, Saadi Shirazi.

The subject matter of Bostan deals with stories illustrating the virtues and values to be followed by Muslims, guided by Islamic codes. These codes are basics to become a good human being in family and society practicing truth, justice, modesty and respects to all. Bostan also includes the advices on good practices and behaviors for saints, dervish and to the guides of society.

To read Bostan of Saadi in pdf format, translated into English by Richard Francis Burton follow the link here..

Saadi is the master of ghazals. Beautifully composed verses of Bostan have been a model and a source of literary light, guiding the future generations and scholars to come after him. Most important among them, who tried to follow Saadi, while composing ghazals, are the poets like Hafiz Shirazi and Amir Khosrau Dehlavi. Hafiz Shirazi, like Saadi, studied at Nizamiyeh University of Baghdad and the influence of Arabic language can be found in Hafiz’s verses too. Whereas, Ferdowsi long before Saadi and Hafiz, uses pure Persian language in his Shahnameh.

• To read about poet Ferdowsi you may follow the link.

Golestan of Saadi or Gulistan:

Golestan (the Rose Garden) (گلستان) or Golestaane Saadi, is majorly in prose form containing stories and personal anecdotes of author. Completed in 1258 CE, the text is quite lucid and interesting to read, including some humorous stories. The Golestan is interspersed with a variety of short poems and verses. It contains stories and anecdotes of moral and ethical values, guiding one’s for better behavior (for commons to Kings).

Golestan mostly contains the personal stories and experiences of writer, containing useful lead for a healthy social setup and humanity. It has been divided into 8 chapters, each chapter deals with a separate and specific topic, having sub-topics, namely- (1) The Manners of Kings, (2) On the Morals of Dervishes, (3) On the Excellence of Content, (4) On the Advantages of Silence, (5) On Love and Youth, (6) On Weakness and Old Age, (7) On the Effects of Education, and (8) On Rules for Conduct in Life. The characters and stories mentioned in Golestan are real as well as fictional.

To read Golestan in pdf format, translated into English by Richard Francis Burton, follow the link here..

Verses of Saadi inscribed on UNO Hall:

It is worth mentioning that some of the verses from Saadi’s Golestan have been inscribed on to the entrance gate of United Nations’ Assembly Hall in New York city, USA. This is a great tribute to the poet, Sheikh Saadi, as well as, the verses expressing the essential purpose of establishment of UNO.  The message of verses reflects an international regard to humanity with sense of belongingness, co-existence and justice to all and a call for breaking all barriers for overall development of all beings.

Verses by Saadi inscribed at UNO follows as:

بنی آدم اعضای یکدیگراند

که در آفرینش زیک گوهراند

چوعضوی به درد آورد روزگار

دگر عضوها را نماند قرار

تو کز محنت دیگران بی غمی

نشاید که نامت نهند آدمی

(سعدی شیرازی)

Verse Text courtesy-Internet Archive Digital Library.

Human beings are members of a whole,

In the creation of one essence and soul;

If one member is afflicted with pain,

Other members uneasy will remain;

If you have no sympathy for human pain,

The name of a human you cannot retain;

Golestan also means a “Garden” in Persian language. A garden contains flowers of different families and with a variety of colors and a variety of beautiful smells. Saadi rightly named his book “Golestan” covering varieties of colors and smells into a number of chapters, in the form of stories, advices and moral codes, covering different essential topics of society.

Bostan and Golestan have been translated into almost all the major languages of the world. The original Persian text has also been quite popular and taught in the schools of Iran, Afghanistan, India, Pakistan and many countries of Gulf and Central Asia.

Saadi and Europe:

However, Saadi’s works were unknown to Europe until it was translated for the first time by Goethe and Andre du Rye, in 1634 CE. In 1651 CE, Golestan was translated into Latin.  And later on a quality translation into English language was done by Sir Richard Francis Burton.

During the last days of life (considerably for many years), Saadi led a peaceful family and public life. He  preached and addressed people from his native place Shiraz. After living a longer life (around 90 years), He died in 1292 CE.

• Also read about the biography of Rabia Balkhi, first woman poet of Persian.

Mausoleum of Saadi:

A beautiful tomb of Saadi Shirazi has come up in the city of Shiraz in commemoration of the poet. Mausoleum of the poet is visited by students, teachers, scholars, tourist and commons.

Saadi will be remembered for his unmatched scholarship and his most valued masterpieces like Bostan and Golistan. His works have a special attraction to the western students and scholars. In future too, Saadi, a fine messenger of peace and humanity with his wonderful writings will remain be celebrated and valid for peace loving people and the learned class of society worldwide.

The ideas and philosophy propagated by Saadi were mostly focused on peaceful living with co-existence respecting human and humanity. It is the need of time today, to inculcate such humane values, through school curricula, among children from early stages.