TEHRAN -- Friday marked the National Day of Saadi which celebrates the ‎achievements of the legendary ancient Iranian poet and prose writer who has ‎internationally acclaimed for his books, ‘the Bustan’ and ‘the Gulistan’ among other works.‎
Saadi Shirazi is recognized for the quality of his writings and for the depth of his social and moral thoughts.
The bard is widely recognized as one of the greatest poets of the classical literary tradition, earning him the nickname “The Master of Speech” or “The Wordsmith” or simply “Master” among Persian scholars. He has been quoted in the Western traditions as well.
His poetry book ‘the Bustan’ (The Orchard) has been ranked as one of the 100 greatest books of all time by British daily the Guardian. The work consists of stories aptly illustrating the standard virtues recommended to Muslims (justice, liberality, modesty, contentment) and reflections on the behavior of dervishes and their ecstatic practices.
In addition to ‘the Bustan’ and ‘the Gulistan’ (Rose Garden), Saadi also wrote four books of love poems (ghazals), and number of longer mono-rhyme poems (qasidas) in both Persian and Arabic. There are also quatrains and short pieces, and some lesser works in prose and poetry. Together with Rumi and Hafez, he is considered one of the three greatest ghazal-writers of Persian poetry.
Saadi is well known for his aphorisms, the most famous of which Bani Adam (The Children of Adam) is part of the ‘Gulistan’. In a delicate way it calls for breaking down all barriers between human beings. The literal translation of Bani Adam is as follows:
“The children of Adam are the members of each other,
who are in their creation from the same essence.
When day and age hurt one of these members,
other members will be left (with) no serenity.
If you are unsympathetic to the misery of others,
it is not right that they should call you a human being.”