Sheykh Moshrefeddin (son of) Mosleheddin Sa’di of Shirz (circa 1206- 1291) is one of the stars of Classical Persian literature. What is certain about Sa’di’s life is that he flourished in the thirteenth century, went to the Nezamiyeh College of Baghdad, travelled wide and lived long. It is clear from his love poetry that he was an ardent lover, and from much of his works that he was not a Sufi, although he cherished the ideals of Sufism and admired the legendary classical Sufis. Not much else can be said about his life with the same degree of certainty.
In the introduction to his long poem Bustan (Orchard), Sa’di writes that he had travelled far and wide and spent time with all manner of people, but none such as the people of Shiraz had he found in sincerity and generosity.
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Citation: Katouzian, Homa. "Sa'di". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 13 June 2011 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=12967, accessed 18 April 2024.]
