The Gulistan of Sa'di

Sheikh Sa'di (Muslih-ud-Din Mushrif ibn Abdullah) (1184-1291) is one of the major Persian poets of the medieval period. He is recognised not only for the quality of his writing, but also for the depth of his social thought. A native of Shiraz, Iran, Sheikh Sa'di left his native town Shiraz at a young age for Baghdad to study Arabic literature and Islamic sciences at Al-Nizamiyya of Baghdad (1195-1226). When he reappeared in his native Shiraz he was an elderly man. Shiraz, under Atabak Abubakr Sa'd ibn Zangy (1231-1260) was enjoying an era of relative tranquility. Sa'di was not only welcomed to the city but was respected highly by the ruler and enumerated among the greats of the province. In response, Sa'di took his nom de plume from the name of the local prince, Sa'd ibn Zangi, and composed some of his most delightful panegyrics as an initial gesture of gratitude in praise of the ruling house and placed them at the beginning of his Bustan. His best known works are Bustan (The Orchard) completed in 1257 and Gulistan (The Rose Garden) in 1258. Read more