They asked someone: What is a scholar who doesn't act upon his knowledge like?
He replied: Exactly like a wasp that has no honey.
Tell the huge, merciless wasp: If you don't give honey, at least stop stinging. #Gulistan #Iran #SaadiAlSherazi
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He who did not eat his bread in his life (give to others from his surplus), his name will not be remembered at his death.
The pleasure of grapes is known to the widow (the deprived one), not the owner of the grapes. #Gulistan #Iran #SaadiAlSherazi
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Two things are logically impossible: to receive more sustenance than allotted, and to die before the appointed time.
Destiny does not change, even if a thousand sighs of disbelief or complaints escape from a throat. #Gulistan #Iran #SaadiAlSherazi
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A poor man with a good end is better than a king whose fate is bad.
And sorrow followed by joy is easier to bear than happiness followed by regret. #Gulistan #Iran #SaadiAlSherazi
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The sky bestows rain upon the earth, and the earth gifts dust to the sky; every vessel leaks what it contains.
So if you see in me what is unbecoming, do not abandon your good character. #Gulistan #Iran #SaadiAlSherazi
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It is the king's duty to confront the oppressors, the chief of police's duty to confront murderers and criminals, and the judge's duty to adjudicate between disputants. #Gulistan #Iran #SaadiAlSherazi
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Everyone's teeth are sensitive to acidity, except judges, who are sensitive to sweetness (they love bribes). #Gulistan #Iran #SaadiAlSherazi
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Whoever fights against the bigger one (argues/antagonizes) makes their blood permissible for others to shed (for revenge). #Gulistan #Iran #SaadiAlSherazi
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Wrestling with a lion or confronting one with the power of a sword is not the act of the wise. #Gulistan #Iran #SaadiAlSherazi
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He who does not do good to others when he is capable, will experience hardship in his weakness.
No one is more unfortunate than the person who wrongs others, for on the day of calamity, he will not find anyone to help him. #Gulistan #Iran #SaadiAlSherazi
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Works succeed with patience, and the hasty one reaches the end (destruction) quickly.
I saw with my own eyes in the desert that the slow one surpassed the fast one. #Gulistan #Iran #SaadiAlSherazi
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The scholar who lacks piety is like a blind man carrying a torch (the light of the torch is useless because the one carrying it is truly blind). #Gulistan #Iran #SaadiAlSherazi
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When speaking between two enemies, say things that, should they become friends, you won't be ashamed of what you said.
A conflict between two people is like a fire. #Gulistan #Iran #SaadiAlSherazi
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I saw a man dressed like a dervish but without any of their true qualities, sitting in a gathering. He kept complaining bitterly, pouring out all his grievances, and began criticizing the rich. #Gulistan #Iran #SaadiAlSherazi
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The wife of a poor dervish was pregnant and had given birth. #Gulistan #Iran #SaadiAlSherazi
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I heard that one of the great educators (a virtuous mentor/teacher/experienced religious scholar) said to one of his followers: “My son, if a person’s anxiety about obtaining sustenance were directed solely towards the Provider (God, #Gulistan #Iran
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I saw a teacher in one of the schools (here, the mosque/Kuttab) in Morocco—his face displayed a harsh appearance, his words were cruel with bad character, hurting the people, he was stingy, and lacked piety. #Gulistan #Iran #SaadiAlSherazi
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A wealthy but miserly man had a sick son. #Gulistan #Iran #SaadiAlSherazi
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The story of Majnun Layla and his turmoil was told to one of the Arab kings, as this man, despite his perfect virtue and eloquence, he wandered the desert, and lost his mind. #Gulistan #Iran #SaadiAlSherazi
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There was a graceful youth, pure of heart and handsome of face,Who was deeply committed to a companion equally pure.
I read that once, in the Great Sea,They both fell together into a terrifying whirlpool. #Gulistan #Iran #SaadiAlSherazi
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Someone was asked by some Arabized people (an Arabized person is someone who is not originally Arab but learned Arabic from Arabs) in Baghdad: What do you say about beardless youths? #Gulistan #Iran #SaadiAlSherazi
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In the heat of my youth—as you well know happens in those years—I shared a deep bond of friendship with a handsome companion whose voice was as sweet as melody and whose face shone like the full moon in the dark of night. #Gulistan #Iran #SaadiAlSherazi
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I remember a time in days gone by when my friend and I were as close as two almond kernels sharing a single shell. Then, quite suddenly, the winds of absence blew us apart.
After a long interval, my friend returned. #Gulistan #Iran #SaadiAlSherazi
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Among the students, there was a youth of such peerless beauty that his teacher, moved by the leanings of human nature, treated him with a gentleness born of his captivating grace. #Gulistan #Iran #SaadiAlSherazi
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I recall (Saadi) a night when a beloved friend passed through my door. I sprang from my seat with such sudden fervor to greet him that my sleeve caught the lantern, and the light was extinguished. #Gulistan #Iran #SaadiAlSherazi
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A man once said to a friend whom he had not seen for a vast stretch of time: "Where have you been? #Gulistan #Iran #SaadiAlSherazi
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Galen (the physician) once saw a fool grabbing a scholar by the collar and insulting him. #Gulistan #Iran #SaadiAlSherazi
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A learned scholar once entered into a debate with an atheist. He brought forth every proof of reason and every jewel of eloquence, yet the disbeliever remained unmoved by his arguments. #Gulistan #Iran #SaadiAlSherazi
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Sa'adi, beheld a corpulent fool (or a fat simpleton) clad in an exquisite, costly robe, riding a purebred Arabian horse, and wearing an Egyptian straw hat upon his head. #Gulistan #Iran #SaadiAlSherazi
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I heard (Saadi heard) about a merchant who owned one hundred and fifty camels laden with goods and forty servants.
One night on Kish Island, I went with him to his room. #Gulistan #Iran #SaadiAlSherazi
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