Saadi, born in Shīrāz, Iran is one of the greatest figures in classical Persian literature (1213 -1291). He left home to explore the world in 1225, (around the time the Mongols invaded Shiraz) and traveled around, studied at Nezamiyeh University in Baghdad, and lived as a wandering Dervish for a while, mingling with people of different walks of life, returning to Shiraz in 1257
His best-known works are:
- Būstān ;1257) The Orchard) is entirely in verse and consists of stories illustrating high morals and virtues.
- Gulistān ;1258) The Rose Garden) is mainly in prose and contains stories accompanied with a variety of short poems. Even though it still in line with Bustan, providing moral guidance, it is also more pragmatic, aware of the power of kings on people’s mundane lives and how the mystics have gained freedom from the potency of the ones in power by spirituality.
- Ghazaliat ) love poems or Lyrics; sonnets, collected in four groups:
• Old Sonnets ) written in his youth); It is believed by many experts that they are about earthy love.
• Tayebat & Badaye ) written in his middle age);
• Khavateem ) written in his old days) is mostly about mystical love as well as ethics and piety.
