#THE-ROSE-GARDEN-OF-SA‘DI
#THE-GULISTAN
This is the image of Saadi's tomb
photo has copied
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 goodnatured vezier replied: ‘My lord, he says: Those who
bridle their anger and forgive men; for God 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
the manner of kingsSa‘di V 27
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?
