Translating to the Rose Garden in English, Gulistan was written in 1258 by Saadi, a master poet in medieval Persia. To this day an influential classic, this collection of poems and stories contains many insights still relevant in today’s world.
Saadi takes us on a journey through his rose garden. His wisdom is timeless, his humour delightful. He transforms the most natural situations into enlightening messages. He humbles us with the truth, and it is magical that his message is still so relevant to our lives today.
Saadi shows us how to recognise truth through God. In this fickle life, nothing is assured. The only truth is the Creator, the only path is to be one with Him, and to do this, we must submit to His will so that we can share in the splendour of the Absolute.
This new translation of Gulistan by Dr Gholamhossein Mahdavi Tootkaboni seeks to stay as close to the original as possible, thereby retaining its wealth of hidden meanings, as well as the freshness of Saadi’s simple metaphors.