“One Essence” by Saadi Shirazi is drawn from one of the most celebrated passages of classical Persian poetry, expressing the timeless idea that all human beings are connected and that the suffering of one should be felt by all. Presented here in English as part of Persian Poetry After Dark, Saadi’s centuries-old words are reimagined through melodic progressive house and emotional trance. This English musical adaptation brings the poem’s universal message of compassion, empathy and human solidarity into a contemporary electronic soundscape, introducing the wisdom of one of Persia’s greatest poets to a new international audience.
- Genre: Melodic Progressive House, Emotional Trance
- Music & Lyric Adaptation: Tony Zohari
- Language: English
- Poet: Saadi Shirazi
- Original Language: Persian
- Themes: Iranian Poetry | Persian Poetry After Dark | In English
- Cover Image: Ernest Ghazaryan
Lyric: One Essence
Human beings…
Are members of a whole…
In creation
Of one essence
And soul…
Human beings are members of a whole,
In creation of one essence and soul.
If one member is afflicted with pain,
Other members uneasy will remain.
Ah…
One essence…
One soul…
If one member is afflicted with pain,
Other members uneasy will remain.
If one member is afflicted with pain…
Other members uneasy will remain…
If you have no sympathy
For human pain…
If you have no sympathy
For human pain…
The name of humans
You cannot retain.
The name of humans
You cannot retain…
Human beings…
Human beings…
Members of a whole…
One essence…
One soul…
One soul…
One soul…
One essence…
Human beings are members of a whole…
In creation of one essence and soul…
If one member is afflicted with pain…
Other members uneasy will remain…
If you have no sympathy…
For human pain…
The name of humans
You cannot retain.
Human beings…
Members of a whole…
One essence…
One soul…
One soul…
Saadi Shirazi
Saadi Shirazi (c. 1210–1291/92) is one of the great masters of classical Persian literature, celebrated for his poetry and prose, and especially for his timeless works Gulistan (The Rose Garden) and Bustan (The Orchard). His writing combines wisdom, compassion, human experience and a profound understanding of the complexities of life.
The verses behind “One Essence” come from Gulistan and express one of Saadi’s most enduring ideas: that humanity is interconnected, and that the suffering of one person should be felt by all. Written centuries ago, the message remains remarkably contemporary—a call for empathy beyond borders, differences and divisions.
In this interpretation, Saadi’s words are taken out of their historical setting and placed inside a nocturnal world of progressive electronic music. The long, evolving arrangement allows the poem to move from quiet reflection toward an expansive, emotional release—turning an ancient meditation on human solidarity into a modern club experience.
One essence. One soul. One humanity.
