Saadi

Saadi, fully Abu Muhammad Muslih al-Din Saadi Shirazi, was a 13th-century Persian poet and prose writer who remains one of the major figures of classical Persian literature. He was born in Shiraz, probably in the late 12th or early 13th century, and died there about 1291 or 1292. Saadi traveled extensively across the Islamic world, visiting cities such as Baghdad, Damascus, Cairo, and Aleppo, and he is believed to have spent several years in Iraq and the Levant before returning to Shiraz, where he later died. His life and work reflect the social and cultural exchanges of the medieval Persian-speaking world.

Saadi’s opus is best known for two works that have endured in the canon of Persian literature. Bustan (The Orchard), completed in the 1250s, is a didactic poem in verse that addresses morality, piety, and governance through anecdotes and fables. Gulistan (The Rose Garden), written shortly after, is a collection of prose tales and short poems interwoven with reflections on human conduct, friendship, justice, and the folly of pride. Both works blend practical ethics with a lyrical sensibility and are notable for their accessible language and concise, aphoristic sayings.

Saadi’s influence has been broad and lasting. His writings were widely read in the Persian-speaking world and have been translated into many languages, shaping literary and moral discourse far beyond Iran. He is celebrated as a master of prose and verse whose succinct, humane maxims have entered everyday use in Persian and other cultures. His tomb in Shiraz remains a symbol of Persian literary heritage, and his memory continues to be honored in Iran and beyond.