بنى آدم اعضاء يک پیکرند که در آفرينش ز يک گوهرند
چو عضوى بدرد آورد روزگار دگر عضوها را نماند قرار
Of one Essence is the human race
thus has Creation put the base
One Limb impacted is sufficient
For all Others to feel the Mace
—Saadi, quoting Ferdowsi (thanks again to Homeyra for this additional information re Ferdowsi)
Inscribed on the UN’s Hall of Nations in New York
Come, come, whoever you are.
Wanderer, idolater, worshipper of fire,
Come even though you have broken your vows a hundred time,
Come, and come yet again,
Ours is not a caravan of despair…
—the wonderful Sufi mystic poet Rumi
Pingback: Persian literature in the West « Forever Under Construction