Sohrab, a young provincial author from Kerman is writing a book on the history of the Persian Classic Poetry, focussing on the styles of five great Iranian poets including Sa'adi, Rumi, Hafiz, Khayyam and Ferdowsi.
To publish his book, he has to travel to Tehran to get the necessary license. On the way to the capital, he gets lost in the desert, and reaches a point where he faces five alternative moral paths: Khayyam's hedonism, Sa'adi's practical wisdom, etc.
The five renowned poets appear to him, and each of them teaches the young author aspects of their wisdom and philosophy of life.