I went looking for whatever I could find about the verse and where it's from. It seems to get quoted a fair bit, usually credited to the same author (whose name is variously rendered as Sadi, Saadi or Sa'di). Here's his Wikipedia article:
Saadi (poet).
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Priscilla Stuckey writes:
Quote:
Some years ago I discovered this poem all over the Web, attributed in most places to Sa’di in the Gulistan. I went to my closest university library, checked out the Gulistan, and spent some days reading it. The message of the poem fit Sa’di’s philosophy, but I never did find the exact reference.
So where, exactly, does this poem come from? If any of you have the exact citation, whether in the Gulistan or from some other source, I’d love to know about it. Either post a comment or contact me by email .... Even better, send me the Persian original (if it does come from Sa’di)...
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GIGA Quotes credits it to Saadi in the
Gulistan apparently without question but although they give more detailed citations for some other quotes they don't happen to, for this one.
Anyway, thanks, Fuzzybear, for posting the quote and while I'm at it...
Picture of Saadi's tomb, from Wikipedia;
my suggestion for an additional feature,
added with Photoshop.