batch.motif.persian-sadi-gulistan-ross-gutenberg-l4253-l4271
---
record_id: batch.motif.persian-sadi-gulistan-ross-gutenberg-l4253-l4271
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/persian/project-gutenberg/gulistan-sadi-ross.md
passage_locator:
label: XXVIII / XXXII / XXXIII / XXXIV; lines 4253-4271
start: '4253'
end: '4271'
translation: The Persian Literature, Volume 2, The Gulistan
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: ''
summary: Two moral aphorisms state that one who fails to do good when able will
lack support in adversity, and that life is as brief as a breath. The passage
condemns exchanging religious practice for worldly gain, invokes the sale of Joseph
as an example of a poor bargain, and cites a covenant warning the sons of Adam
not to serve Satan, their enemy.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: A person who does not do good while having the means to do it is said to suffer
hardship when lacking the means.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: The misanthrope is described as especially unlucky because in adversity he
has no friend.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:3
text: Life is described as standing on the verge of a single breath and as an existence
between two nonentities.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:4
text: Those who exchange religious practice for worldly wealth are condemned.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:5
text: The sale of Joseph is invoked as an example of an unprofitable bargain.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:6
text: A quoted covenant addresses the sons of Adam and commands them not to serve
Satan, who is called their avowed enemy.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:7
text: The passage says that by taking advice from a foe, people broke faith with
a friend and united themselves with the foe.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Person who fails to do good when able
description: A generalized person who has the means to do good but does not do it.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Misanthrope
description: A person described as having no friend on the day of adversity.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Those who trade religious practice for worldly gain
description: People who sell their deen or religious practice for worldly pelf.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Joseph
description: Joseph is referenced as one who was sold.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Sons of Adam
description: The addressees of the covenant not to serve Satan.
role_refs:
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: Satan
description: Named as the one not to be served and as an avowed enemy.
role_refs:
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: fig:7
name_or_label: Friend with whom faith was broken
description: An unnamed friend contrasted with the foe whose advice was followed.
role_refs:
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
roles:
- id: role:1
label: Neglecter of available good action
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: The figure has means to do good but does not do it.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:2
label: Isolated adversary of humankind
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: The misanthrope lacks a friend in adversity.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:3
label: Seller of religious practice for worldly wealth
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: The passage says such people truck their religious practice for worldly pelf.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:4
label: Sold exemplar in a moral analogy
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: Joseph is mentioned in the question about what was gained by selling him.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:5
label: Covenant addressees
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: The covenant speech is addressed to the sons of Adam.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: role:6
label: Avowed enemy and forbidden master
assigned_to:
- fig:6
basis: Satan is named as the one not to serve and as the avowed enemy.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: role:7
label: Betrayed friend
assigned_to:
- fig:7
basis: The passage says faith was broken with a friend through the advice of a foe.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: Single breath
literal_form: Breath as an image for the brevity of life.
associated_figures: []
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: sym:2
label: Bargain or sale
literal_form: The exchange of religious practice for worldly pelf, paired with the
sale of Joseph.
associated_figures:
- fig:3
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: sym:3
label: Covenant
literal_form: A covenant with the sons of Adam not to serve Satan.
associated_figures:
- fig:5
- fig:6
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: sym:4
label: Foe and friend contrast
literal_form: A foe whose advice is followed and a friend with whom faith is broken.
associated_figures:
- fig:6
- fig:7
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Neglected good and isolation in adversity
summary: The passage states that one who does not do good while able will suffer
hardship later, and that the misanthrope has no friend in adversity.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: Brief life and bad sacred bargain
summary: The passage describes life as brief, condemns selling religious practice
for worldly gain, invokes Joseph's sale, and cites the covenant not to serve Satan.
figure_refs:
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:5
- fig:6
- fig:7
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
- sym:3
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: Neglected benevolence brings isolation in adversity
taxonomy_refs:
- wisdom
basis: The passage links failure to do good when able with later hardship and lack
of friends in adversity.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
confidence: high
cautions: This is an ethical aphorism rather than a developed narrative motif.
- id: motif:2
label: Life as a single breath between nonexistences
taxonomy_refs:
- wisdom
basis: Life is explicitly described as standing on the verge of one breath and as
existence between two nonentities.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
confidence: high
cautions: The taxonomy reference is broad; the passage presents a philosophical
image, not a journey or rebirth narrative.
- id: motif:3
label: Sacred practice exchanged for worldly gain
taxonomy_refs:
- sacred_exchange
- wisdom
basis: The passage condemns those who trade religious practice for worldly pelf
and reinforces the point with the sale of Joseph.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
confidence: medium
cautions: The exchange is moral and metaphorical; the passage does not narrate a
ritual transaction.
- id: motif:4
label: Broken covenant through service to the enemy
taxonomy_refs:
- covenant
basis: The quoted covenant forbids serving Satan, and the passage says people broke
faith with a friend by taking a foe's advice.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
confidence: high
cautions: The friend is not explicitly identified in the supplied passage.
comparison_claims:
- id: claim:1
claim: 'The passage uses the sale of Joseph as a comparison for an unprofitable
moral bargain: trading religious practice for worldly gain.'
claim_level: same_function
target: Joseph sale narrative as an example of a bad bargain
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
counter_evidence_refs: []
confidence: medium
limitations: The passage only alludes to Joseph's sale and does not recount the
larger Joseph narrative.
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 4253-4257 / section XXXIII
quote_or_summary: Whoever does not do good when able will suffer hardship when unable;
the misanthrope has no friend in adversity.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/persian/project-gutenberg/gulistan-sadi-ross.md
rights_note: Public domain source metadata supplied; short summary used.
- id: ev:2
type: quote
locator: lines 4259-4261 / section XXXIV
quote_or_summary: '"Life stands on the verge of a single breath" and is described
as existence between two nonentities.'
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/persian/project-gutenberg/gulistan-sadi-ross.md
rights_note: Public domain source metadata supplied; short excerpt used.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: lines 4261-4264 / section XXXIV
quote_or_summary: Those who trade their religious practice for worldly pelf are
condemned; the passage asks what was gained by selling Joseph.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/persian/project-gutenberg/gulistan-sadi-ross.md
rights_note: Public domain source metadata supplied; summary used.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: lines 4264-4270 / section XXXIV
quote_or_summary: A covenant speech warns the sons of Adam not to serve Satan, their
avowed enemy; the passage says they followed a foe, broke faith with a friend,
and separated from one to unite with the other.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/persian/project-gutenberg/gulistan-sadi-ross.md
rights_note: Public domain source metadata supplied; summary used.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: medium
notes: Literal extraction is straightforward. Motif labels are broad because the
passage is aphoristic and allusive rather than a full mythic narrative.
reviewer_status:
status: needs_review
reviewer: ''
reviewed_at: ''
notes: Machine-generated draft from OpenAI Batch; not human-reviewed.
extracted_by: openai_batch:gpt-5.5
extracted_at: '2026-04-28'
notes: |-
Used only supplied passage text and metadata. No external identification of quoted sources was added.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:persian-sadi-gulistan-ross-gutenberg__l4253-l4271
passage_sha256=4a23d552388b7f7a24eafdbaa5ed209e8e568eb209fb05d52465f6aa088b12bd