Persian Poet Sa'di and William Shakespeare, a comparison by scholar Dr Ghomshei

[Beringia]

Celebrated Iranian scholar Dr Hossein Elahi Ghomshei discusses the parallels between the medieval Persian poet Sa'di and William Shakespeare, two writers who lived centuries and worlds apart. Dr Ghomshei compares their ideas on themes such as the immortality of the soul, the nobility of humankind's divine nature, and music and the heavenly message.

This lecture was presented at the State Library of Victoria on Thursday 19 April 2012

I discovered this amazing Iranian scholar, Dr Ghomshei on youtube and his lectures are truly inspiring and full of wisdom of Sufism. There are only a few in English, and this is one of them.






Saadi
The sweet pangs of love

Whether it is dark or it is pleasure
whether it is sorrow or it is happiness
because let us drink of our wine
for the health of the sorrows
because the sorrows that are coming from the Beloved are better than pleasures
coming from outside


Shakespeare
Sweet are the uses of adversity, which like the toad, ugly and venomous, wears yet a precious jewel in his head

And this our life, exempt from public haunt,
Finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks,
Sermons in stones, and good in every thing.