Tales from the Gulistan

Front matter

TALES FROM

THE GULISTÂN

OR ROSE-GARDEN OF THE SHEIKH SA’DI OF SHIRÂZ

Introduction

The truly renowned and highly esteemed Persian poet Sa'di produced in A.D. 1258 a work that he called The Gulistân; or, Rose-Garden, whose leaves, as he says, 'cannot be touched by the tyranny of autumnal blasts, and the delights of whose spring the vicissitudes of time will be unable to change into the inconstancy of autumn.

Of what use will be a dish of roses to thee?

Take a leaf from my rose-garden,

A flower endures but five or six days,

But this Rose-Garden is always delightful.

And so it has proved to be. It is read with admiration and rapture both in Asia and Africa, while in Europe it has been translated into Latin, English, French, German, and Dutch.

To a student of Persian the present work presents very great attractions as an embodiment of a real and natural translation from an Oriental language; while, to the student of the world, it gives a good representation of the ideas of this great author, and of the manner in which he impresses them, both upon his readers and his hearers, the latter in the East being as numerous as the former. In Persia and other Eastern countries where Persian is spoken and understood, quotations from Sa'di are constantly used in society, and are also current among the people. Often a ready or appropriate allusion to this talented author, or a quotation from his works, has saved a head or filled a purse.

Sheikh Muslih-udden Sa'di Shirazi was born at Shirâz about A.D. 1193, and after his education at the college of Baghdad, became a Dervish and a great traveller. His life may be divided into three parts; the first, his youth and education; the second, his travels; and the thrid, his literary labors at Shirâz, where he built a hermitage, settled down, and worked there till his death in A.D. 1291,

Sa’di has left many literary remains, consisting of poems, odes, elegies, verses, anecdotes, mortal maxims, fragments, discourses, and essays. The great beauty of his style is its elegant simplicity. His imagination is more sober than the erotic flights of Hafiz, or the mysticisms of Jalal-uddin Rumi, while many good, useful, and noble sentiments are to be found in all his works.

Sa'di has been called by a brother poet 'The nightingale of the groves of Shirâz.' European poets have long since appreciated and admired his style, his language, and his witty and telling similitudes, while an admiration for his talents has caused his name to be added to a family in France which has lately come prominently into notice.

The present work has been ably and faithfully translated. It will repay perusal, not once only, but several times. Indeed, the oftener it is read, the more the reader will be impressed with Sa'di's truth, wisdom, and knowledge of the humanities.

We gave advice in its proper place,

Spending a lifetime in the task.

If it should not touch anyone's ear of desire,

The messenger told his tale; it is enough.

Preface

PREFACE

IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE MERCIFUL, THE CLEMENT!

Laudation to the God of majesty and glory! Obedience to Him is a cause of approach, and gratitude an increase of benefits. Every inhalation of the breath prolongs life, and every expiration of it gladdens our nature; wherefore every breath confers two benefits; and for every benefit gratitude is due. Whose hand and tongue is capable to fulfil the obligation of thanks to Him?

It is best to a worshipper for his transgressions To offer apologies at the throne of God, Although what is worthy of His dignity No one is able to accomplish.

The showers of His boundless mercy have penetrated to every spot, and the banquet of His unstinted liberality is spread out everywhere. He tears not the veil of reputation of His worshippers even for grevious sins, and does not withhold their daily allowance of bread for great crimes.

O bountiful one, who from Thy invisible treasury suppliest the Guebre and the Christian with food; how couldst thou disappoint Thy friends, whilst having regard for Thy enemies?

One of the devout who had deeply plunged his head into the cowl of meditation, and had been immersed in the ocean of visions, was asked, when he had come out of that state, by one of his companions, who had desired to cheer him up: “What beautiful gift hast thou brought us from the garden in which thou hast been?”

He replied: “I intended to fill the skirts of my robe with roses, when I reached the rose-tree, as presents for my friends; but the perfume of the flowers intoxicated me so much that I let go the hold of my skirts.”

O birds of the morning! Learn love from the moth, because it burnt, lost its life, and found no voice. These pretenders are ignorantly in search of Him, because he who obtained knowledge has not returns.

Panegyric of the Pâdshâh of Islâm: May Allah Perpetuate His Reign

The good reputation of Sa'di, which is current among the people, the renown of his eloquence, which has spread on the surface of the earth, the products of his friendly pen, which are consumed like sugar, and the scraps of his literary compositions, which are hawked about like bills of exchange, cannot be ascribed to his virtue and perfection, but the lord of the world, the axis of the revolving circle of time, the vice-gerent of Solomon, protector of the followers of the religion, His Majesty the Shâhanshâh Atabek Aa'zm Muzaffaruddin Abu Bekr Sa'd Ben Zanki - the shadow of Allah on earth! O Lord, be pleased with him and with his Kingdom - has looked upon Sa'di with a favourable eye, has praised him greatly, and has shown him sincere affection, so that all men, gentle and simple, love him because the people follow the religion of their King.

Because thou lookest upon my humble person,

My merits are more celebrated than those of the sun.

Although this slave may possess all faults,

Every fault pleasing the Sultân becomes a virtue.

A sweet-smelling piece of clay, one day in the bath, came from the hand of a beloved one to my hand. I asked: "Art thou musk or ambergris? Because thy delicious odour intoxicates me." It replied: "I was a despicable lump of clay, but for a while in the society of a rose. The perfection of my companion took effect on me, and if not, I am the same earth which I am."

May God, whose name be exalted and hallowed, keep in security and peace the pure country of Shirâz until the time of the ressurrection, under the authority of righteous governors, and by the exertions of practical scholars.

Knowest thou not why I in foreign countries roamed about for a long time? I went away from the distress of the Turks, because I saw the world entangled like the hair of negroes; they were all human beings, but like wolves, sharp-clawed, for shedding blood. When I returned I saw the country at rest, the tigers having abandoned the nature of tigers. Within a man of good disposition like an angel, without an army like bellicose lions. Thus it happened that first I beheld the world full of confusion, anxiety, and distress; then it became as it is in the days of the just Sultân Atabek Abu Bekr Sa'd Ben Zanki!

The Cause for Composing the Gulistân

I was one night meditating on the time which had elapsed, repenting of the life I had squandered, and perforating the stony mansion of my heart with adamantine tears. I uttered the following lines in conformity with the state of my mind: 'Every moment a breath of life is spent; if I consider, not much of it remains. O thou, whose fifty [years] have elapsed in sleep, wilt thou perhaps overtake them in these five days?Shame on him who has gone and done no work; the drum of departure was beaten, but he had not made his load. Sweet sleep on the morning of departure retains the pedestrian from the road. Whoever had come had built a new edifice; he departed and left the place to another, and that other one concocted the same futile schemes, and this edifice was not completed by anyone. Cherish not an inconstant friend, such a traitor is not fit for amity. As all the good and bad must surely die, he is happy who carries off the ball of virtue. Send provision for thy journey to thy tomb, nobody will bring it after thee; send it before; life is snow, the sun is melting hot, but little remains, but the gentleman is slothful still. O thou who hast gone empty-handed to the bazâr, I fear thou wilt not bring a towel filled. Who eats the corn has sown while it is still green, must at harvest time glean the ears of it. Listen with all they heart to the advice of Sa'di; such is the way, be a man and travel on.

'The capital of man's life is his abdomen: if it be gradually emptied there is no fear; but if it be so closed as not to open, the heart may well despair of life; and if it be open so that it cannot be closed, go and wash thy hands of this world's life. Four contending rebellious dispositions harmonise but five days with each other; if one of these four becomes prevalent, sweet life must abandon the body; wherefore an intelligent and perfect man sets not his heart upon this world's life.'

After maturely considering these sentiments, I thought proper to sit down in the mansion of retirement to fold up the skirts of association, to wash my tablets of heedless sayings, and no more to indulge in senseless prattle. To sit in a corner, like one with a cut tongue, deaf and dumb, is better than a man who has no command over his tongue.

[I continued in this resolution] Till a friend, who had been my companion in the camel-litter of misery and my companion in the closet of affection, entered at the door, according to his old custom, with playful gladness, and spread out the surface of desire; but I would give him no reply, nor lift up my head from the knees of worship. He looked at me, aggrieved, and said:

"Now, while thou hast the power of utterance, speak, O brother, with grace and kindness; because to-morrow, when the messenger of death arrives, thou wilt of necessity restrain thy tongue."

One of my connections informed him how matters stood, and told him that I had firmly determined and was intent upon spending the rest of my life in continual devotion and silence, advising him at the same time, in case he should be able, to follow my example and to keep my company. He replied:

"I swear by the Great Dignity [of Allah] and by our old friendship that I shall not draw breath, nor budge one step, unless he converses with me as formerly, and in his usual way; because it is foolish [on his part] to insult friends, and easy to expiate an [inconsiderate] oath. It is against propriety, and contrary to the opinions of wise men, that the Zulfiqar of A'li should remain in the scabbard, and the tongue of Sa'di in his palate."

O intelligent man, what is the tongue in the mouth?

It is the key to the treasure-door of a virtuous man;

When the door is closed how can one know

Whether he is a seller of jewels or a hawker?

Although intelligent men consider silence civil, it is better for thee to speak at the proper time. Two things betoken levity of intellect: To remain mute when it is proper to speak, and to talk when silence is required.

In short, I had not the firmness to restrain my tongue from speaking to him, and did not consider it polite to turn away my face from his conversation; he being a congenial friend and sincerely affectionate. When thou fightest with anyone, consider whether thou wilt have to flee from him or he from thee.

I was under the necessity of speaking, and then went out by way of diversion in the vernal season, when the traces of severe cold had disappeared, and the time of the dominion of roses had arrived:

Green garments were upon the trees,

Like holiday robes on contented persons.

On the first of the month Ardibihesht Jellâli

The bulbuls were singing on the pulpits of branches,

Upon the roses pearls of dew had fallen,

Resembling perspiration on an angry sweetheart's cheek.

I happened to spend the night in a garden with one of my friends, and we found it to be a pleasant, cheerful place with heart-ravishing, entangled trees; its ground seemed to be paved with small glass beads, whilst from its vines bunches like the Pleiads were suspended.

A garden the water of whose river was limpid,

A grove the melody of whose birds was harmonious.

The former full of bright-coloured tulips,

The latter full of fruits of various kinds;

The wind had in the shade of its trees

Spread out a bed of all kinds of flowers.

The next morning, when the intention of returning had prevailed over the opinion of tarrying, I saw that my friend had in his skirt collected roses, sweet basil, hyacinths, and fragrant herbs, with the determination to carry them to town; whereon I said: "Thou knowest that the roses of the garden are perishable, and the season passes away, and philosophers have said: 'Whatever is not of long duration is not to be cherished.'"

He asked: "Then what is to be done?"

I replied: "I may compose for the amusement of those who look, and for the instruction of those who are present, a book of a Rose-Garden [Gulistân], whose leaves cannot be touched by the tyranny of autumn blasts, and the delight of whose spring the vicissitudes of time will be unable to change into the inconstancy of autumn.

Of what use will be a dish of roses to thee?

Take a leaf from my rose-garden.

A flower endures but five or six days,

But this Rose-Garden is always delightful.

After I had uttered these words he threw away the flowers from his skirts, and attached himself to mine [saying]: "When a generous fellow makes a promise he keeps it."

On the same day I happened to write two chapters, namely on polite society and the rules of conversation, in a style acceptable to orators and instructive to letter-writers. In short, some roses of the garden still remained when the book of the Rose-Garden was finished, but it will in reality be completed only after approbation in the court of the Shâh, who is the refuge of the world, the shadow of God, the ray of His grace, the treasury of the age, the asylum of the Faith, strengthened by heaven, aided against enemies, the arm of the victorious government, the lamp of the resplendent religion, the beauty of mankind, the boast of Islâm, Sa'd, son of Atabek the great, the majestic Shâhanshâh, owner of the necks of nations, lord of the Kings of Arabia and Persia, the Sultân of the land and sea, the heir of the kingdom of Solomon, Muzaffaruddin Abu Bekr, son of Sa'd Zanki, may Allah the Most High perpetuate the prosperity of them both, and direct their inclinations to every good thing.

Perused with a kind glance, adorned with approbation by the sovereign, it will be a Chinese picture-gallery, or design of the Arzank. Hopes are entertained that he will not be wearied by these contents, because a rose garden is not a plase of displeasure. The more so as its august preface is dedicated to Sa'd Abu Bekr Sa'd, the son of Zanki.

Excuse for Remissness in Service, and Cause for Preferring Solitude

My negligence and backwardness in diligent attendance at the royal court resemble the case of Barzachumihr, whose merits the sages of India were discussing, but could at last not reproach him with anything except slowness of speech, because he delayed long and his hearers were obliged to wait till he delivered himself of what he had to say. When Barzachumihr heard of this he said: "It is better for me to consider what to speak, than to repent of what I have spoken. A trained orator, old, aged, first meditates, and then speaks; do not speak without consideration; speak well, and if slow what matters it? Deliberate and then begin to talk; say thyself enough, before others say enough. By speech a man is better than a brute, but a beast is better unless thou speakest properly."

How then [could I venture to appear] in the sigh of the grandees of my Lord, may His victory be glorious, who are an assembly of pious men and the centre of profound scholars? If I were to be led in the ardour of conversation to speak petulantly, I could produce only a trifling stock-in-trade in the noble presence; but glass beads are not worth a barley-corn in the bazâr of jewellers, a lamp does not shine in the presence of the sun, and a minaret looks low at the foot of Mount Alvend.

Who lifts up his neck with pretentions, foes hasten to him from every side. Sa'di has fallen to be a hermit; no one came to attack a fallen man. First deliberation, then speech; the foundation was laid first, then the wall.

I know bouquet-binding, but not in the garden; I sell a sweetheart, but not in Canaan. Loqman the philosopher, being asked from whom he had learnt wisdom, replied: "From the blind, who do not take a step before trying the place." First move about, then stir out. Try thy virility first, then marry. Though a cock may be brave in war, he strikes his claws in vain on a brazen falcon. A cat is a lion in catching mice, but a mouse in combat with a tiger.

But, trusting in the liberal sentiments of the great, who shut their eyes to the faults of their inferiors and abstain from divulging the crimes of humble men, we have in this book recorded, by way of abridgment, some rare events, stories, poetry, and accounts about ancient Kings, spending a portion of our precious lives in the task. This was the reason for composing the book Gulistân; and help is from Allah.

The author, having deliberated upon the arrangement of the book, and the adornment of the chapters, deemed it suitable to curtail the diction of this beautiful garden and luxuriant grove, and to make it resemble paradise, which also has eight entrances.

I. The Manners of Kings. II. On the Morals of Dervishes. III. On the Excellence of Contentment. IV. On the Advantages of Silence. V. On Love and Youth. VI. On Weakness and Old Age. VII. On the Effects of Education. VIII. On Rules for Conduct in Life.

At a period when our time was pleasant The Hejret was six hundred and fifty-six. Our intention was advice and we gave it, We recommended thee to God and departed.

Chapter 1

I

THE MANNERS OF KINGS

“I HEARD A PÂDSHÂH”

[p. 3

I heard a Pâdshâh 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 good-natured vizier replied: “My lord, he says, ‘Those who bridle their anger and forgive men; for Allah loveth the beneficent.

The King, moved with pity, forbore taking his life; but another vizier, the antagonist of the former, said: “Men of our rank ought to speak nothing but the truth in the presence of Pâdshâhs. This fellow has insulted the King 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 Shâh 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 Feridûn:

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?

One of the Kings of Khorâsân had a vision in a dream of Sultân Mahmûd, one hundred years after his death. His whole person appeared to have been dissolved and turned to dust, except his eyes, which were revolving in their orbits and looking about. All the sages were unable to give an interpretation, except a Dervish, who made his salutation and said: “He is still looking amazed how his kingdom belongs to others.”

I have heard that a royal prince of short stature and mean presence, whose brothers were tall and good-looking, once saw his father glancing on him with aversion and contempt; but he had the shrewdness and penetration to guess the meaning, and said : “O father, a puny, intelligent fellow is better than a tall, ignorant man, neither is everything [which is] bigger in stature higher in price. A sheep is nice to eat, and an elephant is carrion. The smallest mountain on earth is Jûr, nevertheless it is great with Allah in dignity and Station. Hast thou not heard that a lean scholar one day said to a fat fool, ‘Although an Arab horse may be weak, it is thus worth more than a stable full of asses.

The father laughed at this sally, the pillars of the State approved of it; but the brothers felt much aggrieved.

While a man says not a word His fault and virtue are concealed; Think not that every desert is empty: Possibly it may contain a sleeping tiger.

I heard that on the said occasion the King was menaced by a powerful enemy, and that when the two armies were about to encounter each other, the first who entered the battlefield was the little fellow, who said: “I am not he whose back thou wilt see on the day of battle, but he whom thou shalt behold in dust and blood. Who himself fights. Stakes his own life in battle; but he who flees, the blood of his army.”

After uttering these words he rushed among the troops of the enemy, slew several warriors, and, returning to his father, made humble obeisance and said: "O thou to whom my person appeared contemptible and didst not believe in the impetuosity of my valour: a horse with slender girth is of use on the day of battle, not a fattened ox."

It is related that the troops of the enemy were numerous, and that they [the King's] being few, were about to flee, but that the puny youth raised a shout, saying: "O men, take care not to put on the garments of women!" These words augmented the rage of the troopers so that they made a unanimous attack, and I heard that they gained the victory on the said occasion. The King kissed the head and eyes of his son, took him in his arms, and daily augmented his affection till he appointed him to succeed him on the throne. His brothers became envious and placed poison in his food, but were perceived by his sister from her apartment, whereon she closed the window violently, and the youth, shrewdly guessing the significance of the act, restrained his hands from touching the food, and said: "It is impossible that men of honour should die, and those who possess none should take their place."

No one goes under the shadow of an owl

Even if the Homâ should disappear from the world.

This state of affairs having been brought to the notice of the father, he severely reproved the brothers, and assigned to each of them a different, but pleasant, district [as a place of exile] till the confusion was quelled and the quarrel appeased; and it has been said that ten Dervishes may sleep under the same blanket, but that one country cannot hold two Pâdshâhs. When a pious man eats half a loaf of bread, he bestows the other half upon Dervishes. If a Pâdshâh were to conquer the seven climates he would still in the same way covet another.

A band of Arab brigands, having taken up their position on the top of a mountain and closed the passage of caravans, the inhabitants of the country were distressed by their stratagems, and the troops of the Sultân foiled, because the robbers, having obtained an inaccessible spot on the summit of the mountain, thus had a refuge, which they made their habitation. The chiefs of that region held a consultation about getting rid of the calamity, because it would be impossible to offer resistance to the robbers if they were allowed to remain. A tree which has just taken root may be moved from the place by the strength of a man; but if thou leavest it thus for a long time, thou canst not uproot it with a windlass. The source of a fountain may be stopped with a bodkin; but when it is full, it cannot be crossed on an elephant.

The conclusion was arrived at to send one man as a spy, and to wait for the opportunity till the brigands departed to attack some people, and leave the place empty. Then several experienced men, who had fought in battles, were despatched to keep themselves in ambush in a hollow of the mountain. In the evening the brigands returned from their excursion with their booty, divested themselves of their arms, put away their plunder, and the first enemy who attacked them was sleep, till about a watch of the night had elapsed.

The warriors leapt forth from the ambush, tied the hands of every one of the robbers to his shoulders, and brought them in the morning to the court of the King, who ordered all of them to be slain. There happened to be a youth among them, the fruit of whose vigour was just ripening, and the verdure on the rose-garden of whose cheek had begun to sprout. One of the viziers, having kissed the foot of the King's throne and placed the face of intercession upon the ground, said: "This boy has not yet eaten any fruit from the garden of life, and has not yet enjoyed the pleasures of youth. I hope your majesty will generously and kindly confer an obligation upon your slave by sparing his life." The King, being displeased with this request, answered:

"He whose foundation is bad will not take instruction from the good; to educate unworthy persons is like throwing nuts on a cupola. It is preferable to extirpate the race and offspring of these people, and better to dig up their roots and foundations, because it is not the part of wise men to extinguish fire and to leave burning coals, or to kill a viper and leave its young ones."

If a cloud should rain the water of life,

Never sip it from the branch of a willow-tree.

Associate not with a base fellow,

Because thou canst eat sugar from a mat-reed.

The vizier heard these sentiments, approved of them nolens volens, praised the opinion of the King, and said: "What my lord has uttered is the very truth itself, because if the boy had been brought up in the company of those wicked men, he would have become of themselves. But your slave hopes that he will, in the society of pious men, profit by education and will acquire the disposition of wise persons; being yet a child the rebellious and perverse temper of that band has not yet taken hold of his nature, and there is a tradition of the prophet that every infant is born with an inclination for Islâm, but his parents make him a Jew, a Christian, or a Majûsi. The spouse of Lot became a friend of wicked persons, his race of prophets became extinct; the dog of the companions of the cave for some days associated with good people, and became a man."

When the vizier had said these words, and some of the King's courtiers had added their intercession to his, the King no longer desired to shed the blood of the youth, and said: "I grant the request although I disapprove of it. Knowest thou not what Zâl said to the hero Rustam? 'An enemy cannot be held despicable or helpless. I have seen many a water from a paltry spring becoming grat and carrying off a camel with its load.'"

In short, the vizier brought up the boy delicately, with every comfort, and kept masters to educate him, till they had taught him to address persons in elegant language as well as to reply, and he had acquired every accomplishment. One day the vizier hinted at his talents in the presence of the King, asserting that the instructions of wise men had taken effect upon the boy and had expelled his previous ignorance from his nature. The King smiled at these words and said: "At last a wolf's whelp will be a wolf, although he may grow up with a man."