Selected passages from

THE GULISTAN OF SA´DI

by Sa'di 
Written 1258 A.C.E.

 A cat is a lion in catching mice 
But a mouse in combat with a tiger. 

The Manners of Kings

Story 1

I heard a padshah giving orders to kill a prisoner. The helpless fellow began to insult the king on that occasion of despair, with the tongue he had, and to use foul expressions according to the saying: 

Who washes his hands of life
Says whatever he has in his heart. 

When a man is in despair his tongue becomes long and he is like a vanquished cat assailing a dog. 

In time of need, when flight is no more possible,
The hand grasps the point of the sharp sword. 

When the king asked what he was saying, a good-natured vezier replied: 'My lord, he says: Those who bridle their anger and forgive men; for Allah loveth the beneficent.' 

The king, moved with pity, forbore taking his life but another vezier, the antagonist of the former, said: 'Men of our rank ought to speak nothing but the truth in the presence of padshahs. This fellow has insulted the king and spoken unbecomingly.' The king, being displeased with these words, said: 'That lie was more acceptable to me than this truth thou hast uttered because the former proceeded from a conciliatory disposition and the latter from malignity; and wise men have said: "A falsehood resulting in conciliation is better than a truth producing trouble."' 

He whom the shah follows in what he says, 
It is a pity if he speaks anything but what is good. 

The following inscription was upon the portico of the hall of Feridun: 

O brother, the world remains with no one. 
Bind the heart to the Creator, it is enough. 
Rely not upon possessions and this world 
Because it has cherished many like thee and slain them. 
When the pure soul is about to depart, 
What boots it if one dies on a throne or on the ground?

The Morals of Dervishes

Story 7

I remember, being in my childhood pious, rising in the night, addicted to devotion and abstinence. One night I was sitting with my father, remaining awake and holding the beloved Quran in my lap, whilst the people around us were asleep. I said: 'Not one of these persons lifts up his head or makes a genuflection. They are as fast asleep as if they were dead.' He replied: 'Darling of thy father, would that thou wert also asleep rather than disparaging people.' 

The pretender sees no one but himself 
Because he has the veil of conceit in front. 
If he were endowed with a God-discerning eye 
He would see that no one is weaker than himself.
 

On the Excellence of Contentment

Story 2

Two sons of amirs were in Egypt, the one acquiring science, the other accumulating wealth, till the former became the ullemma of the period and the other the prince of Egypt; whereon the rich man looked with contempt upon the faqih and said: 'I have reached the sultanate whilst thou hast remained in poverty as before.' He replied: 'O brother, I am bound to be grateful to the most high Creator for having obtained the inheritance of prophets whilst thou hast attained the inheritance of Pharaoh and of Haman, namely the kingdom of Egypt.' 

I am that ant which is trodden under foot 
Not that wasp, the pain of whose sting causes lament. 
How shall I give due thanks for the blessing 
That I do not possess the strength of injuring mankind?

On the Advantages of Silence

Story 5

Galenus saw a fool hanging on with his hands to the collar of a learned man and insulting him, whereon he said: 'If he were learned he would not have come to this pass with an ignorant man.' 

Two wise men do not contend and quarrel 
Nor does a scholar fight with a contemptible fellow. 
If an ignorant man in his rudeness speaks harshly 
An intelligent man tenderly reconciles his heart. 
Two pious men keep a hair between them untorn 
And so does a mild with a headstrong man. 
If however both sides are fools 
If there be a chain they will snap it. 

An ill-humoured man insulted someone. 
He bore it and replied: 'O man of happy issue, 
I am worse than thou canst say that I am 
Because I know thou art not aware of my faults as I am.

On Love and Youth

Story 5

A schoolboy was so perfectly beautiful and sweet-voiced that the teacher, in accordance with human nature, conceived such an affection towards him that he often recited the following verses: 

I am not so little occupied with thee, O heavenly face, 
That remembrance of myself occurs to my mind. 

From thy sight I am unable to withdraw my eyes 
Although when I am opposite I may see that an arrow comes. 

Once the boy said to him: 'As thou strivest to direct my studies, direct also my behaviour. If thou perceivest anything reprovable in my conduct, although it may seem approvable to me, inform me thereof that I may endeavour to change it.' He replied: 'O boy, make that request to someone else because the eyes with which I look upon thee behold nothing but virtues.' 

The ill-wishing eye, be it torn out 
Sees only defects in his virtue. 
But if thou possessest one virtue and seventy faults 
A friend sees nothing except that virtue.

On Weakness and Old Age

Story 9

I have heard that in these days a decrepit aged man 
Took the fancy in his old head to get a spouse. 

He married a beauteous little girl, Jewel by name, 
When he had concealed his casket of jewels from the eyes of men a spectacle took place as is customary in weddings. But in the first onslaught the organ of the sheikh fell asleep. He spanned the bow but hit not the target; it being impossible to sew a tight coarse robe except with a needle of steel. 

He complained to his friends and showed proofs that his furniture had been utterly destroyed by her impudence. 

Such fighting and contention arose between man and wife that the affair came before the qazi; and Sa'di said: 'After all this reproach and villainy the fault is not the girl's. Thou whose hand trembles, how canst thou bore a Jewel?'

On the Effects of Education

Story 8

I saw an Arab of the desert who said to his boy: 'O son, on the day of resurrection thou wilt be asked what thou hast gained and not from whom thou art descended, that is to say, thou wilt be asked what thy merit is and not who thy father was.'

On Rules for Conduct in Life

Maxim 3

Knowledge is for the cherishing of religion, not for amassing wealth.

Who sold abstinence, knowledge and piety 
Filled a granary but burnt it clean away. 

Maxim 4

A learned man who is not abstinent resembles a torchbearer who guides others but does not guide himself. 
 
Who has spent a profitless life bought nothing and threw away his gold. 

Maxim 5

The country is adorned by intelligent and the religion by virtuous men. Padshahs stand more in need of the advice of intelligent men than intelligent men of the proximity of padshahs. 

If thou wilt listen to advice, padshah, 
There is none better in all books than this: 
'Entrust a business to an intelligent man 
Although it may not be his occupation.'
 


 Translated by Richard Francis Burton (1821-1890)