About Sheikh Saadi Shirazi
Saadi Shirazi, also known as Sheikh Saadi, was a famous Persian poet, writer, and philosopher of the 13th century. He was born in Shiraz, Iran, around 1210. His full name was Abu-Muhammad Muslih al-Din bin Abdallah Shirazi. Saadi traveled extensively and followed scholarly pursuits that influenced his writings.
After studies, he traveled across the Middle East, India, Central Asia, and possibly North Africa. He found diverse cultures, social structures, and moral philosophies in these areas of the world that enriched his perspective on humanity and ethics.
Two major works: Gulistan (The Rose Garden) and Bustan (The Orchard) are landmarks in Persian literature. Gulistan, a collection of prose and poetry, contains moral tales that are aimed at teaching ethical values and wisdom. Bustan, a poetic work, reflects themes of virtue, justice, and the nature of humanity.
Both works are the representation of his eloquent style, wit, and profound insights that earned Saadi the title of Master of Speech in Persian literature. His competence to convey deep moral lessons through simple, accessible language made his writings timeless and beloved by readers across countries.
Saadi died in 1291 in Shiraz. His mausoleum, known as Saadieh, stands as a tribute to his literary legacy. Famous for his moral wisdom, Saadi occupies a central position in Persian literature. His writings continue to inspire readers worldwide through their universal messages of kindness, justice, and human unity.
Summary
Sheikh Sadi is a great storyteller of Persia. He traveled around the world and wrote Gulistan, the greatest work of all time. Saadi’ Gulistan’ is an epic in Persian Literature. It was written in 1258 and is considered a book for all ages. The Gulistan of Saadi soon became popular both in the East and West.
It was translated into many languages and English scholars used Sadi’s parables books. The readers are sure to enjoy their divine parables as food for thought. It is a collection of poetry and prose and is broadly quoted as a means of wisdom. Here are three tales from Saadi’s Gulitan centering on the lives of Kings.
The first tale is about a king and a Persian slave. The slave had never experienced any calamity in his life. Once both the King and the slave were sailing in the same boat. The boat was hit by a storm. The slave began to cry and upset all others on board. The Sergeant, sitting in the boat, asked the permission of the king to calm down the slave.
On getting permission, he threw the slave into the water. When he was about to be drowned, he pulled him back to the boat. Then he sat down in a corner and kept quiet. The tale tells us that we know the value of things when they are not with us. Before the slave had not experienced the danger of being drowned, he did not know the safety of the boat.
The second tale is about Naushirvan, a Persian King who was famous for his justice. Once he sent a boy to a village to bring some salt for a deer which was being roasted for him. The boy came back and offered the salt before the King. The King asked him if he had paid for the same. The boy replied in negative.
Then the King said, ‘Pay for the salt lest it should be custom and the village be destroyed’. The King further added, “The foundation of oppression was small in the world”. The tale tells us that an inhuman person does not live long, but the sin started by him once exists for a long time.
The third tale is about another King who was seriously ill. The more his disease was cured the more it became painful. The physicians agreed that the King could be cured only by means of the bile of a person having certain qualities. At last, the son of a poor farmer was discovered for the purpose.
His parents agreed to sacrifice their son provided the king gave them a huge amount of money. The boy was brought to the altar. He smiled and looked towards the sky. He said that he was expecting justice from God. The king felt disturbed and said that it was better for him to die than to shed the blood of an innocent boy. It is said that the king recovered within a week.
The story shows that the peace of the people depends upon the good morals of the kings.
The common theme of all the tales is that the morals and virtues of the kings do affect their subjects a lot. The more unjust a king is, the more troubled his country. The prosperity of the people depends upon the good virtues of the kings.
Characters of the Three Tales
Sheikh Sadi’s characters in Gulistan serve as symbols of moral and ethical values.
The King and the Slave: The king is a man of wisdom and allows the sergeant to teach the frightened, inexperienced slave a lesson by throwing him into the water. The slave, by nature a frightened man, learns to appreciate safety through this experience.
Naushirvan and the Boy: A man of justice, Naushirvan insists on paying for a small amount of salt to stop minor injustices from becoming harmful traditions of society. The boy in the second story is a messenger and unaware of the king’s action.
The Ill King and the Farmer’s Son: A compassionate and merciful king first considers sacrificing an innocent farmer’s son for the sake of his own health but, moved by the boy’s request for divine justice, finally spares him. The boy is innocent but a man of integrity who reminds the king of the importance of justice over self-interest.
Theme of the story
Gulistan e Saadi by Sheikh Saadi is a document of moral and ethical teaching. The tales exert a profound influence on the people and society. We learn how justice, empathy, and integrity in leadership lead to peace and prosperity, while cruelty and dishonesty create suffering and instability.
Each tale emphasizes justice as Naushirvan King insists on paying the price of salt. Small acts of justice lead to big success and stop unfairness. A ruler rules over the whole nation and leads people in the right direction.
Choices not only shape their own fate but also profoundly influence the well-being of their subjects that demonstrates true power lies in compassion and justice rather than in dominance and wealth. The fear of doing the thing never experienced before can be overcome only if it is faced bravely and without hesitation.
We see this theme in the first story where a slave had never tasted calamity before. Sacrifice is also a great virtue in the eyes of Sheikh Saadi as we see in the third story when the king stops being cruel to the innocent boy and sacrifices his own health.
Analysis of the Gulistan e Saadi
The stories in Sheikh Sadi’s Gulistan carry allegorical meaning. We learn insights into human nature, morality, and the responsibilities of leadership. These simple but profound tales examine the ways in which the character and decisions of rulers impact the welfare of their subjects.
The story reflects a powerful theme that calamity can not be passed through until we taste it. The interaction between the Persian king and the slave illustrates how people often fail to admire security and stability until they face adversity.
The storm and the slave’s immediate reaction after that serve as a metaphor demonstrating life’s inevitable hardships, teaching us the value of what we have. Experiencing and understanding life’s challenges to grow empathy and resilience is the subject of Saadi’s tales.
Sadi’s stories reflect his mind that adversity leads to personal growth and a greater sense of gratitude. In the second story, Naushirvan( king), known for his justice, focuses on the importance of a small honest action that saves the slave from further corruption.
Naushirvan’s action symbolizes justice and it spreads awareness that small acts of injustice, if ignored, can lead to larger abuses of power. This story is a critique on a society where minor injustices, if accepted, may grow into oppressive practices, harmful to the people.
Sadi’s message is clear and deep-rooted. The foundations of any society rely on the integrity that rests on such principles. The third tale has explicit themes of compassion, sacrifice, and the moral strength of leadership. In this story, the king chooses the option of mercy for the innocent boy and accepts his own suffering on the loss of a person’s life.
The decision of the king leads to his miraculous recovery, symbolizing the healing power of moral actions. Sadi paints the picture of the king’s dilemma as a moral test, where the king’s selection portrays self-awareness and compassion elevating him as a true leader.
There is a recurring message across these tales that the moral character of rulers shapes the fate of their people. Just as Naushirvan’s consistency to fairness prevents cruelty from taking place, the other kings’ moral decisions influence their subjects’ well-being. Gulistan reflects that the moral fabric of a society is genuinely tied to the virtues of its leaders.
The use of literary devices
Allegory
The characters in each story serve as an allegory to represent virtues like justice, compassion, and resilience, which shows how these qualities impact society.
Irony
Irony can be seen in the character of a slave when he fears drowning yet finds security in the boat only after experiencing water.
Symbolism
Different objects and actions are symbolic in nature as the boat represents safety, the salt stands for justice in small acts, and the farmer’s son symbolizes innocence and sacrifice.
Paradox
The ill king’s choice is paradoxical, forgoing his own cure by sparing the boy’s life leads to his healing.
Didactic Tone
A didactic tone is employed for the purpose of teaching people morals through the characters’ actions illustrating clear ethical lessons. It invites readers to ponder over justice, compassion, and the moral responsibilities of leadership.
Questions and Answers
What was the advice given by Naushirvan to his people?
Naushirvan advised his people very beautifully. He said: A tyrant does not remain in the world but the curse on him abides forever!. He advised his people to avoid little sins as they cause cruelty and oppression on large scales.
What was the remedy suggested by the physicians for the disease of the King?
The physicians prescribed that the bile of the King should be replaced by the bile of another person which had specific qualities.
Why did the boy look to the sky and smile?
The boy did so because only God could help him when the King, the Qazi, and his parents were against his life. In fact, he was quite hopeful of divine mercy. At last, his prayers were granted and the King set him free at the last moment.
Why did the King weep?
On hearing the speech of the boy, the King burst into tears and said that it would be better for him to die than shed the blood of an innocent soul.
How did the King recover?
By the grace of God, the King recovered soon after he had given away a big amount of wealth to the boy who was about to be killed for his health.
Write a note on Naushirvn.
Naushirvan was a renowned Persian king. He was famous for his justice. He advised his people to avoid even little sins as they cause evil on a large scale.
What should be the role of a king?
The role of a king is very important. A king should be kind, just, and wise. He should be a role model for his subjects. The prosperity of the people banks on the good morals of the king.
Can an unjust king flourish?
No, an unjust king cannot flourish. He must be kind and just if he wants to flourish.
What moral lesson do you get from the second tale?
A cruel person does not survive but the evil started by him once exists for a long time.
What does Emerson say about Sadi?
According to Emerson, Sadi speaks to all nations and he is always modern.
The Gulistan’ is called, ‘an intellectual pillow. What do you mean by it?
Edwin Arnold calls The Gulistan’, an intellectual pillow. When we recline the pillow, it gives us rest and respite. We feel comforted, and so does ‘The Gulistan.’ It gives us consolation in hardship. It is a great source of peace and pleasure for us.
The Gulistan of Sadi is called a literary curry and a Kebab of versatile genius throws light on it.
Arnold beautifully compares The Gulistan with the two delicious dishes of the East. In simple words, the stories of Sadi are as tasty as curry and Kebab of the East۔
About the Author
