The Gulistān (Rose-garden)

Preface

GULISTAN OF MUSLE-HUDDEEN SHAIK SADY, OF SHEERAZ.

In the name of the most merciful God !

Praise to the God of majesty and glory, whose service is the means of approach ! and to offer him grateful acknowledgments insures an increase of bounty. Every breath when inhaled sustaineth life, and when respired it exhilarates the body : consequently every breathing includes two benefits, each of which demandeth a distinct acknowledgment. What hand or tongue can fulfil his praise? Sing praises ye posterity of David, for few of my servants are grateful. It is best for the servant to confess his weakness and implore forgiveness at the court of heaven, since no one is able to fulfil his duty towards God. The rain of his infinite mercy refresheth all places, and the table of his bounty is spread far and near. Amidst the enormous sins of his servants he rendeth not the vail of their reputation,

and

VI PREFACE.

and during the commission of atrocious offences ceaseth not to bestow their daily bread.

O merciful God, who out of thine hidden treasures afTordest daily sustenance to the Guebre and the infidel, how canst thou exclude thy friends, thou who deignest thus favourably to regard thine enemies ! He commandeth his chamberlain, the zephyr, to spread the emerald carpet, and ordereth the vernal clouds to foster the infant plants in the cradle of the earth. He clotheth the bodies of the trees with verdant foliage, the festal garments of spring, and in celebration of the return of that season crowneth the youthful branches with garlands of blossoms. By his power, the juice of the cane is converted into delicious honey ; and by his discipline, the kernel of the date becometh a lofty tree. Clouds and wind, the moon, the sun, and the sky, are all busied, that thou, O man, mayest obtain thy bread and eat it not in neglect. For thy sake all these revolve and are obedient : it is not therefore consistent with the rules of justice that thou only shouldest not obey. There is a tradition of the chief of created beings, the most noble of existences, the mercy of the universe, the purest of mankind and completion of the revolution of ages, Mohammed Mustafa (upon whom be blessing and peace!) the intercessor, the obeyed, the gracious prophet, the

bountiful,

PREFACE. VU

bountiful, the majestic, the affable, the sealed. Why should the wall of the faithful suffer anxiety which has such a supporter ? Why should he dread the waves of the sea who hath Noah for his pilot ? His perfections procured him exaltation, his comeliness dispelled the darkness; liberal are all his endowments; blessing be on him and on his race ! The tradition is this : That when a sinful servant, conscious of his guiltiness, lifteth up the hands of repentance in hopes of obtaining pardon at the court of the just, the glorious and sublime Being, the Almighty, regardeth him not; again he supplicates, and is 'again disregarded: once more he prayeth with humility and sorrow, and then the just God saith, " O my angels, of a truth I am ashamed on behalf of my servant, who hath no other Providence than myself, and therefore verily I do pardon him. I have heard his prayer and have granted his petition, because I am ashamed of the excessive supplication and sorrow of my servant."

Behold the mercy and kindness of God, he is [himself ashamed that his servant hath sinned ! Those who constantly reside at the temple of his glory confess the insufficiency of their worship, saying, "We have not worshipped thee in the manner that thou oughtest to be served." And they who would describe the form of his

beauty

Vlll PREFACE.

beauty are wrapt in amazement, declaring, " We have not known thee as thou oughtest to be known." If any one should require me to describe him, how shall the disheartened describe that which hath no form ? The lovers are slain by the beloved, and no voice proceedeth from the dead. A devout man in deep contemplation,

1 with his head reclining on the bosom of meditation, was immersed in the ocean of vision. When he recovered from that state, one of his companions, by way of pleasantry, said, " W T hat miraculous present have you brought us from this garden which you have been visiting?" He answered, " It was my intention, that when I reached the rose-bush I would fill my lap with flowers, for presents to my friends; but when I came to the spot, the odour so overpowered my senses that my skirt dropt out of my hands." O bird of the desert, learn

4 thou love of the moth, who being burnt expireth without a sigh. They who pretend to be informed are ignorant, for they who have known him have not yet recovered their senses. O, thou art beyond the reach of imagination, conjecture, or thought; surpassing all that has been related, and excelling every thing that I have heard or read. The banquet is concluded, and the period of life is arrived. I continue describing thee the same as at the commencement,

The

PREFACE. IX

The virtues of the Monarch of Islamism, — may God perpetuate his reign !

The favourable mention of Sady which has fallen from the mouths of people in general, and the fame of his sayings that has spread over the whole surface of the globe, so that the words of his friendly pen are eaten like sugar ; and the value given to his scraps of writings, insomuch that they pass current like bills of exchange ; all this cannot be ascribed to the perfection of his own merit and eloquence, but is owing to the monarch of the earth, who is the axis of the revolution of time, the representative of Solomon, the defender of the faithful, the mighty king of kings, the illustrious Atabuk MozufTaruddeen Aboobukr, the son of Sad, the son of Zungy, the shadow of God on earth ; approve him, O Lord, and grant his desires ! He regarded me with the eye of kindness, loaded me with commendation, and shewed a sincere attachment ; and therefore, for his sake, persons of all descriptions have taken a fancy to me : for mankind readily adopt the sentiments of their King. From the time that you have looked kindly on my humble state, my merits are more manifest, than the sun. If your servant was made up of defects every fault that the Sultan might commend would be construed into an

excellence.

X PREFACE.

excellence. One day, in the bath, a piece of perfumed clay came to me from the hand of a friend. I said to it, " Art thou musk or an artificial compound of sweets, for I am charmed with thy delightful odour ?" It answered, " I was a worthless piece of clay, but having for a season associated with the rose, the virtue of my companion was communicated to me ; otherwise I am the same identical earth that I was at first." O God ! bestow happiness on the Moslems by a long continuance of his life ; increase the reward of his virtues and perfections; exalt the dignity of his friends and of his governors ; and send destruction to his avowed and secret foes, for the sake of those sayings recorded in the verses of the Koran. O Lord ! protect his kingdom, and be thou the guardian of his son ! Of a truth, the world enj oys happiness through his means ; may his own good fortune be perpetual, and may God befriend him with the standard of victory. In such wise, may the branch also flourish of which the King is the root, since the goodly produce of the soil dependeth on the excellency of the seed. May the most holy and mighty God preserve the land of Sheeraz in perfect peace until the day of resurrection, through dread of the justice of its governors, and by the blessings entailed on those who act conformably to wisdom ! Know you not why

I delavcd

PREFACE. XI

I delayed some time abroad on my travels ? I departed out of dread of the Turks ; for I beheld the country in disorder, like the hair of an Ethiopian. Their form was human ; but, like wolves, their claws were reeking in blood. Within the city were men with minds virtuous as angels, and without was an army of warlike lions. On my return I found the land at peace, the tigers having forsaken their savage dispositions. Thus, at first, I beheld the world full of tumult, sorrow, and strife, and it has changed to its present happy state in the reign of the just monarch, Atabuk Aboobukr Ben Sad Zungy. The land of Persia is in no danger of suffering distress so long as it is governed by one like thyself, who art the shadow of God. At this day, no one can point out on the surface of the earth an asylum of comfort like the threshold of thy gate. It is thy duty to support the helpless, and it behoveth us to offer up grateful acknowledgments, whilst the reward is with God, the creator of the universe. O God ! preserve the land of Persia from the storms of strife, as long as the earth and the air shall endure.

Th

XU PREFACE.

The cause of writing the Gulistan.

One night I was reflecting on the time which had elapsed, and lamenting that so much of my life was spent ; I pierced the stony mansion of my heart with adamantine tears, and repeated the following lines as applicable to my condition :

1 In every moment of my life a breath is expended, so that what remaineth is of but small account. Alas ! thou hast spent fifty years in sleep, excepting these five days that thou hast been awakened to reflection. Shame on that man who departed without finishing his work ; who, when the drum was beaten for marching, had not made up his burthen. Sweet sleep on the day of marching withholds the traveller from his way. Every one who came erected a new fabric ; he departed and evacuated the tenement for another to enter ; and this, in like manner, formed new schemes ; but no one ever finished the building. Place no reliance on an unsteady friend ; the liar deserveth not belief. Since both the good and the bad must die, happy is that man who carries off the ball of virtue. # Send to your own tomb the provisions for the journey; no one will bring them after you, therefore dispatch them before your departure.

* Alluding- to the game of Chowgong, or the Mall.

Life

PREFACE. Xlll

Life is snow, and the summer sun advanceth : only a small part remaineth unmelted. Art thou yet slothful ! You, who have gone empty-handed to market, I fear will not return with a full napkin. Whosoever eateth his wheat before it is ripe, must glean ears of corn at the time of harvest. Listen attentively to the admonition of Sady ; the road is such as I have described it : be of good cheer and proceed on your journey.' After deliberating on the subject, it appeared to me advisable that I should make choice of retirement, and, withdrawing myself from society, erase from the tablet of my memory all vain words, and refrain from conversation.

One deprived of the faculty of speech, who sitteth in a corner deaf and dumb, is preferable to him who cannot govern his tongue. At length one of my friends, the intimate and familiar partner of my travels and companion of my cell, entered the door, and accosted me after his usual manner ; but, in return for all his pleasantry and mirth, and inclination to familiar intercourse, I gave no answer, nor raised up my head from the knees of adoration. He looked displeased, and said, " Whilst you have the power of utterance, speak, O my brother, with favour and kindness, for to-morrow, when the messenger of fate arrive th, you will through necessity be silent." One of my comrades informed him how matters stood,

saying,

XIV PREFACE.

saying, " Such an one hath positively resolved to spend the remainder of his life in devotion, and to observe silence ; follow his example, if you are able, and keep him company." He replied, " I swear by the great God, and by our long uninterrupted friendship, that I will neither breathe nor stir a step until he hath answered with his accustomed freedom ; for it is folly to distress our friends, when an inconsiderate oath can be easily expiated. It is contrary to justice, and opposite to the sentiments of the wise, that the sword of Aly should remain in the scabbard, or that the tongue of Sady should cleave to the roof of the mouth. To what shall be likened the tongue in a man's mouth ? It is the key of the treasury of wisdom : when the door is shut, who can discover whether he deals in jewels or in small ware? Although, in the estimation of the wise, silence is commendable, yet at a proper season free speech is preferable. Two things indicate an obscure understanding; to be silent when we ought to converse, and to speak when we should be silent."

To be brief, I was not able to restrain my tongue from speaking to him : I thought it inhuman to turn my face from him, because he was an agreeable and sincere friend. When you determine to fight, be sure either

that

PREFACE. XV

that you are stronger than your adversary, or that you x - have a swifter pair of heels. Thus through necessity I spoke, and went abroad in good humour. It was the season of spring, the air was temperate and the rose in full bloom. The vestments of the trees resembled the festive garments of the fortunate. It was midspring, when the nightingales were chanting from the pulpits of the branches ; the rose decked with pearly dew, like blushes on the cheek of a chiding mistress. It happened once that I was benighted in a garden in company with one of my friends. The spot was delightful, the trees intertwined ; you would have said that the earth was bedecked with glass spangles, and that the knot of the Pleiades was suspended from the branch of the vine. A garden with a running stream, and trees from whence birds were warbling melodious strains ; that filled with tulips of various hues, these loaded with fruits of several kinds. Under the shade of its trees the zephyr had spread the variegated carpet. In the morning, when the desire to return home overcame our inclination for remaining, I saw in his lap a collection of roses, odoriferous herbs, and hyacinths, which he had intended to carry to town. I said, " You are not ignorant that the flower of the garden soon fadeth, and that the enjoyment of the rose-bush is but of a short continuance ; and

the

XVI PREFACE.

the sages have declared, that the heart ought not to be set upon any thing that is transitory." He asked, " What course is then to be pursued ?" I replied, " I am able to form a book of roses, which will delight the beholders and gratify those who are present; whose leaves the tyrannic arm of the autumnal blasts can never affect, nor injure the blossoms of its spring. What benefit will you derive from a basket of flowers ? Carry a leaf from my garden. A rose may continue in bloom for five or six days, but this rose-garden will flourish for ever." As soon as I had uttered these words, he flung the flowers from his lap, and, laying hold on the skirt of my garment, exclaimed, " When the beneficent promise, they faithfully discharge their engagements." In the course of a few days, two chapters (one on the comforts of society, and the other containing rules for conversation*) were written out in my note-book, in a style that may be useful to orators and improve the skill of letter-writers. In short, whilst the rose was yet in bloom, the book entitled the Rose-Garden was finished ; but it will be truly perfected on gaining a favourable reception at court, and when it obtains an indulgent perusal from that Prince, who is the asylum of the world, the shadow of the Most High, the ray of providential

* Chapters VII. and VIII.- — Suroory.

beneficence ,

PREFACE. XV11

beneficence, the treasury of the age, the refuge of religion, the favourite of Heaven, the mighty arm of the victorious empire, the lamp of the resplendent religion, the most splendid of mankind, the aggrandizer of the faith, Sad son of Atabuk the Great ; that potent monarch, to whom nations bend the neck, lord paramount of the Kings of Arabia and Persia, sovereign of land and sea, inheritor of the throne of Solomon, Mozuffuruddeen, may God perpetuate the good fortune of both, and prosper all their righteous undertakings ! If ornamented with the Sovereign's approbation, it is a gallery of China paintings and the designs of Urzung.* I trust that he will not look dissatisfied, since the Rose-garden is not a fit place for displeasure ; and more especially, as its fortunate preface is inscribed to Sad Aboobukr Ben Zungy.

Celebration of the great Ameer, the Fortunate Fnkrruddeen, Aboobukr Ben Aboo Nusr.

Once more the bride of my imagination, conscious of her want of beauty, raiseth not her head, but in a desponding mood modestly looks down upon her feet, not venturing to make her appearance in the assembly

* The paintings of the impostor Mani.

b of

XV111 PREFACE.

of beautiful youths, unless she be decked with the jewels of approbation from the great Ameer, who is learned and just, assisted by Heaven, the conqueror of his enemies, the support of the throne of empire, counsellor of the state, the asylum of the indigent and refuge of the stranger, the patron of the learned and friend of men of piety, the glory of the Persian race and strength of the arm of empire, of royal endowments, the glory of the state and of religion, the succour of the faith and of the faithful, the confidant of Kings and Emperors, Aboobukr Ben Aboo Nusr, may God prolong his life, increase his dignity, enlighten his breast, and augment his reward ! for he is celebrated amongst all the nobles of the earth, and is the confluence of laudable actions. Whosoever enjoy eth the shadow of his kindness, his sin is pardoned and his enemy becometh his friend. Every other individual servant and domestic hath some duty appointed him, in the performance of which, should he be somewhat negligent or slothful, he would most certainly incur displeasure and reprehension ; but for the class of Durwaishes, whose duty it is to be grateful for the kindness of their superiors, to celebrate their virtues, and to implore blessings for them, such service is better performed when absent than when present, because in the latter case their behaviour may border on specious-

ness,

PREFACE. XIX

ness, whilst the other is void of ceremony and more acceptable. The sky's incurvated back became straight y through delight when dame Nature brought forth a son like thee. It is a pure instance of Divine mystery, when the Creator of the universe, out of his benevolence, distinguishes a servant for the instruction of mankind. He hath obtained immortality whose fame liveth, because after his departure the renown of his virtue insures existence to his name. It is matter of indifference, whether the learned praise thee or not, for the face of a beloved mistress requireth not the art of the tire-woman.

Excuse J or the Omission of Personal Service ; and the Cause of choosing Retirement.

My deficiency and backwardness in the strenuous discharge of personal service at the palace of sovereignty, resembles the story told of Buzerchemeher ; how that, when a number of the sages of Hind were discoursing of his virtues, they could discover in him only this fault, that he hesitated in his speech, so that his hearers were kept a long time in suspense before he delivered his thoughts. Buzerchemeher overheard their conversation and observed, " It is better to deliberate

XX PREFACE.

berate before I speak than to repent of what I have said." Old men of experience, who know the value of words, reflect and then speak. Expend not your breath in talking idly ; speak to the purpose, and mind not if your delivery should be slow. First think and then speak; but stop before they say, ' It is enough.' Man excelleth the brute creation by the faculty of speech ; but you are beneath the brute if you make an improper use of that gift. How then could I venture to make my appearance in the assembly of grandees of sovereignty, the confluence of men of piety and the centre of profound scholars ; where, if in the course of conversation I should feel animated, I might be presumptuous ? Small is the capital stock which I could produce before the Vizier. Glass beads amongst jewellers are not worth a barleycorn ; a lamp in the face of the sun emitteth not a ray of light ; and a lofty turret at the foot of mount Alwund appears diminutive. Whosoever stretcheth out his neck, claiming consequence, is beset by enemies from all quarters. Sady lies prostrate, freed from worldly desires ; no man attempteth to combat with one who is down on the ground. Consideration should precede speech ; they first lay the foundation and then build the wall. I. understand makingartificial flowers, but am not a professed gardener ! I

sell

PREFACE. XXI

sell a beauty, but not in Canaan. # They asked Lokman of whom he had learned philosophy : he answered " Of the blind, because they never advance a step until they have tried the ground." Try your way before you stir your foot : be assured of your manhood, and then marry.

Although the cock is dauntless in battle, yet to what purpose shall he strike against a hawk with brazen talons ? The cat is a tiger in seizing the mouse ; but is herself a mouse when engaged with the tiger.

But relying on the liberal disposition of the great, who shut their eyes on the defects of the humble and strive not to expose the faults of inferiors, I have, in a summary form, comprised in this book of morals and choice tales, embellished with verses and relations of meritorious deeds of Kings ; in collecting materials for which I have spent a considerable part of my life. These were my reasons for writing the Gulistan. May God favour me with his aid ! These verses and recitals will last for years, when every particle of dust of which I am compounded will be dispersed. The intention in drawing this picture is, that it may remain after me ; seeing that existence is fleeting, unless a devout person

* Alluding to Joseph who, on account of his beauty was styled the Moon of Canaan,

should

XX11 PREFACE.

should one day, out of compassion, bestow his blessing on the works of the Durwaishes.

Having maturely deliberated on the general arrangement of the book, the order of the chapters, and abridging the style of the language, it seemed advisable that this verdant garden, planted like paradise, should also resemble it by having eight gates ; and I abridged the work, that it might not be thought tedious.

Chap. I. On the morals of Kings

— II. On the morals of Durwaishes.

— III. On the excellency of contentment.

— IV. On the advantage of silence.

— V. On love and youth.

— VI. On weakness and old age.

— VII. On the force of education.

— VIII. Rules for conduct in life.

Date of the book. At the time when I enjoyed a cheerful mind, in the year six hundred and fifty-six of the Hejira sera, # my design was to give advice, and I have spoken accordingly. I committed the work to God, and departed.

Contents

PAGE

Chap. I. On the Morals of Kings 1

— II. On the Morals of Durwaishes .... 67

Chapter II. Of The Morals Of Durwaishes

TALE I.

A certain personage asked a devout man, what he said of a particular Abid, of whose character others had spoken disrespectfully. He replied, " I see no fault in his exterior, and am ignorant of what is concealed within him. Whomsoever thou seest in a religious habit, consider as a pious and a good man, if you know not what is hidden in his mind : what business hath the Mohtesib with the inside of the house ?"

TALE II.

I saw a Durwaish, who, having placed his forehead on the threshold of the temple of Mecca, was lamenting and saying, " O gracious

f 2 and and most merciful God, thou knowest what can proceed from the most unjust and ignorant of men, that is fit to be offered unto thee ; I implore pardon for my imperfections, since I can have no claim of return for any performance of duty. The wicked repent of their sins : they who know God ask forgiveness for the imperfectness of their worship. The Abid seeks reward for his obedience, and merchants require the value of their capital stock ; but I, who am a servant, have brought hope, not obedience, and am come to beg, not to traffic : do unto me that which is worthy of thee ; and treat me not according to my desert. Whether you slay, or whether you pardon, my face and head are on thy threshold. It is not for a servant to direct : whatsoever thou commandest I shall perform."

At the gate of the Kaba I saw a mendicant, who was weeping bitterly, and saying, " I ask not that thou shouldst approve my services ; draw the pen of forgiveness over my offences."

Tale

TALE III.

Ubdulkadur Gilanee, having placed his forehead on the pebbles before the gate of the temple of Mecca, was saying, " O God, pardon my sins ; but shouldst thou doom me to punishment, then at the resurrection raise me up blind, in order that I may not be put to shame in the presence of the righteous. Prostrate in weakness, with my face on the earth, every morning, as I awake to reflection, I exclaim, O God, never will I forget thee; wilt thou bestow a thought upon me ?"

TALE IV.

A thief got into the house of a religious man, but after the most diligent search had the mortification not to find any thing. The good man, discovering his situation, threw the blanket on which he had slept in the way which

the the thief had to pass, in order that he might not be disappointed.

I have heard, that those who are truly pious distress not the hearts of their enemies; how canst thou attain to this dignity, who art in strife and contention with thy friends? The affection of the righteous is the same in presence as in absence : not like those who censure you behind your back, but before your face are ready to die for you ; when you are present, meek as a lamb ; but when absent, like the wolf, a devourer of mankind. Whosoever recounts to you the faults of your neighbour, will doubtless expose your defects to others.

TALE V.

Some travellers were journeying together, partakers of each other's cares and comforts. I wanted to associate myself with them, to which they would not consent. I remarked, that it was inconsistent with the benevolent manners of religious men to turn away their faces from the poor, and to deny them the advantage of

such such company ; that I knew myself to possess such a degree of energy as would make me an active friend, and not an incumbrance to them. Although I am not mounted on a beast, I will endeavour to carry your burthens. One amongst them said, " Be not uneasy at the words which you have heard, for not long ago a thief, under the appearance of a Durwaish, got into our company. How can one man know what is under another's garment ? The writer knows the contents of the letter. To return to my story ; as the condition of a Durwaish is every where approved, they did not entertain any suspicion of his sanctity, but admitted him into their society. The outside of religion is a Durwaish's dress, this is sufficient with a mortal face : let your actions be good, and put on any dress you choose ; either wear a crown on your head, or carry a flag on your shoulders; for it is not coarse clothing that constitutes the Zahid ; be truly pious, and dress in satin. Sanctity consists in forsaking the world, with its lusts and appetites, not merely in changing the dress. In warfare manhood is required : of what use would armour be to an hermaphrodite? Summarily, manly, one day we had travelled until dark, and during the night slept at the foot of a castle ; the graceless thief, under pretence of going to perform his ablutions, carried off the waterpot of one of his companions, and then went in quest of plunder.

Behold this person, who covered his body with a religious dress, made the veil of the Kaba a housing for an ass. As soon as he had got out of sight of the Durwaishes, he scaled a bastion and stole a casket. By the time it was daylight, the dark-minded wretch had gone a great distance ; and in the morning his innocent companions (whom he had left asleep) were all carried to the castle and committed to prison. From that day we resolved not to increase our company, but henceforward to lead the lives of recluses ; because in solitude there is tranquillity. When one of any tribe commits an act of folly, there is no distinction between high and low, the whole being dishonoured. Have you not observed that a single ox belonging to an herd will contaminate all the oxen of the village ?" I replied, " Thanks to the God of majesty and glory, I am not destitute of the benefits which