The traveller's merchandise

 

An impostor plaited his hair and spake, saying, “I am a descendant of Ali;” and he entered the city along with the caravan from Hijaz, saying, “I come a pilgrim from Mecca;” and he presented a Casidah or elegy to the king, saying, “I have composed it!” The king gave him money, treated him with respect, and ordered him to be shown much flattering attention; till one of the courtiers, who had that day returned from a voyage at sea, said, “I saw him on the Eeduzha, or anniversary of sacrifice at Busrah; how then can he be a Haji, or pilgrim?” Another said, “Now I recollect him, his father was a Christian at Malatiyah (Malta); how then can he be a descendant of Ali?” And they discovered his verses in the divan of Anwari. The king ordered that they should beat and drive him away, saying, “How came you to utter so many falsehoods?” He replied, “O sovereign of the universe! I will utter one speech more, and if that may not prove true, I shall deserve whatever punishment you may command.” The king asked, “What may that be?” He said: “If a peasant bring thee a cup of junket, two measures of it will be water and one spoonful of it buttermilk. If thy slave spake idly be not offended, for great travellers deal most in the marvellous!” The king smiled and replied, “You never in your life spake a truer word.” He directed them to gratify his expectations, and he departed happy and content.

(Saadi Shīrāzī, c. 1210 - c. 1292 CE. From the Gulistan, I.32. Translation by James Ross.)

Anwari is spelled Anvari on Wikipedia. 12th century poet from Khorasan. Born in Abivard (now in Turkmenistan), died in Balkh (now in Afghanistan), his poems collected into a Diwan. 

Here's an extract from "The Tears of Khorassan", as translated by Captain William Kirkpatrick in 1785. The poem laments the ruin caused by "The barbarous Ghuz" i.e. Oghuz Turkic raiders. 

                                   XIV.

View where sage elders, prostrate at the door
Of some low wretch, in vain relief implore;
          In vain their anguish and their wrongs disclose:
Behold the sons of rank debauchery bind
Yon holy anchorite, by Heaven resign'd,
          A prey to dungeons and to sharpest woes.

                                   XV.

Is there, where Ruin reigns in dreadful state,
Whom fortune smiles on, or whom joys await?—
          'Tis yonder corse descending to the tomb:
Is there a spotless female to be found,
Where deeds of diabolic lust abound?—
          'Tis yonder infant issuing from the womb.

                                   XVI.

The mosque no more admits the pious race;
Constrain'd, they yield to beasts the holy place,
          A stable now, where dome nor porch is found:
Nor can the savage foe proclaim his reign,
For Khorassania's criers all are slain,
          And all her pulpits levell'd with the ground.

                                   XVII.

Does some fond mother on a sudden view,
Among the victims of this murd'rous crew,
          A darling son, her waning age's joy?
Since here the grief is fatal that is known,
Fear checks the rising tear and labouring groan,
          Nor dares the matron ask how died her boy.

Saadi's tomb in Shiraz

(Image source: https://historicaliran.blogspot.com/2013/08/saadi.html . The outer structure dates from 1952, replacing a previous one.)

April 21 is National Saadi Commemoration Day. This was the day in 1258 that Saadi, while visiting a flower garden with a friend, "remarked on how quickly the flowers would die, and proposed a flower garden that would last much longer". The result was the Gulistan (Rose Garden). 

In his youth Saadi had led an adventurous travelling life; many anecdotes from that time appear in the Gulistan. He was a slave at Acre for seven years, digging trench fortifications for the crusaders.