M6:1815 — این گل گویاست پر جوش و خروش / بلبلا ترک زبان کن باش گوش

Translation: This rose is eloquent, full of fervor and clamor; O nightingale, cease your speech and be an ear. Meaning: Rumi instructs the nightingale (symbolizing the eloquent lover or speaker) to fall silent and merely listen in the presence of a "rose" that is inherently articulate and brimming with the fervor of truth. This rose articulates truth directly, rendering all commentary or song unnecessary.

Here, Rumi guides us to a depth of truth that even Christianity, in speaking of Jesus, referred to as “begotten, not made”—though the Quran outright rejects this notion of being “begotten.” Yet, Rumi, having used the term “زاده” (born/begotten) in preceding verses, explains immediately that “this phrase is merely for guidance.” His intention is to lead us to a profounder meaning: that this truth is not an effect (maʿlūl) or a created thing (makhlūq), but a manifestation (tajallī), a “form manifested to the Essence, inseparable from it” (ṣuwar-e munjalīye be dhāt mustaḥīlat al-infikāk), as Mullā Ṣadrā explains. The word “born” is used simply to convey this intrinsic connection to the Essence, not to imply independence.

This verse completes and concludes the preceding couplet: “Cease this, until the King of ‘Say!’ speaks / Nightingale, do not bargain with this kind of rose.” The “King of ‘Say!’” (Shāh-e Qul) is undoubtedly God, who commands His Prophet with the imperative “Qul!” (Say!). Rumi, through this command, asks the nightingale to fall silent so that this “King of ‘Say!’” may speak. And this divine utterance comes forth through “this kind of rose.”

“This kind of rose” fundamentally differs from ordinary roses, for which nightingales would sing their praises. Rumi himself says elsewhere: “When a nightingale sees a rose, how can it remain silent?” implying that the عاشق (lover) naturally sings in the presence of beauty. But “this rose” is different; this rose is itself “eloquent, full of fervor and clamor.” Meaning, Truth itself speaks unto itself, permeated with an intrinsic passion and cry. This rose is not a symbol of silence that compels the nightingale to sing; rather, it is articulation itself.

Therefore, addressing the nightingale, Rumi says: “O nightingale, cease your speech and be an ear.” This means there is no longer a place for your discourse, interpretation, or self-expression. In the presence of such a self-sufficient manifestation of Truth, the sole duty and worthiness lie in silence and pure listening. I surmise that Rumi, in composing these verses, was in the throes of ecstatic absorption (sarmastī), a state where, as he transcends the perceptible world, his words grow warmer and more captivating. He seems to have ascended from this sensory world to the highest stations of truth. Here, he maintains decorum, refraining from uttering what cannot be fully expressed, and merely “guides” (ershād), pointing to that direction and making one aware. This “eloquent rose” is itself a witness to divine justice (ʿadl-e Ilāhī) and the secret of union (sirr-e wiṣāl); it is the direct and complete manifestation of the Divine Essence, which speaks for itself and invites all to silence and profound audition.

Key takeaways

• In the presence of self-speaking, transcendent Truth, the only proper response is silence and attentive listening.
• "This kind of rose" symbolizes the direct, unmediated manifestation of the Divine, not merely a created entity.
• Rumi identifies the "King of 'Say!'" (God) as the ultimate source of all true utterance.
• The true lover-poet ceases their own song in the face of such a uniquely eloquent manifestation.
• The term "begotten" (زاده) in the Masnavi is a pedagogical pointer towards "manifestation" (tajallī), rather than implying an independent causality.