Reference
Gulistan
Gulistan
Story 6
Sheik Sadi of Shiraz
| Sadi (1184-1291) is one of the most celebrated
Persian poets of all time, and Gulistan, or
"The Rose Garden" (1258), is his best known and
most popular work. The stories are really mixtures of
poetry and prose, and express profound wisdom on all
aspects of life. In the story below a son points out to
his father the futility of misrepresenting oneself. |
| A hermit, being the guest of a padshah, ate less than
he wished when sitting at dinner and when he rose for
prayers he prolonged them more than was his wont in order
to enhance the opinion entertained by the padshah of his
piety. O Arab of the desert, I fear thou wilt not reach
the Ka'bah When he returned to his own house, he desired the table to be laid out for eating. He had an intelligent son who said: 'Father, hast thou not eaten anything at the repast of the sultan?' He replied: 'I have not eaten anything to serve a purpose.' The boy said: 'Then likewise say thy prayers again as thou hast not done anything to serve that purpose.' O thou who showest virtues on the palms of the hand |