M6:3675 — ما پی گل سوی بستان‌ها شده / گل نموده آن و آن خاری بده

Translation: We went to the gardens, hoping for a flower, It showed a flower, but then gave a thorn. Meaning: This verse speaks to the futility of pursuing superficial causes; we chase what appears good, only to find disappointment and pain, remaining unaware of the hidden hand of the unseen Rider.

This couplet, nestled within Rumi's expansive and profound metaphor of the 'bridle-less horse' and the 'unseen Rider,' unveils one of his deepest insights into causality and divine orchestration. We, as human beings, often venture 'to the gardens, hoping for a flower'; that is, in our quest for ease, solutions, or the fulfillment of our desires, we fix our gaze solely upon superficial causes and readily apparent means. We operate within this confined sphere of perception, believing that by performing a certain action or pursuing a particular path, we shall pluck that 'flower'; as if the destiny of matters rests entirely in our own hands, and our 'bridle-less horse' of understanding can independently find its way.

Yet, Rumi states with stark clarity: 'It showed a flower, but then gave a thorn.' What initially presents itself as a beautiful and inviting flower ultimately proves to be a bitter, stinging thorn. This painful and disappointing experience stems from our profound oblivion to the 'Rider' who sits astride this 'horse' of nature and holds the reins of all affairs. Doctors who merely examine the ailing slave girl's physical body, or scientists who exclusively probe natural causes, are akin to the bridle-less horse: they perceive only the pain of the bit in their mouths or the wounds on their hooves, oblivious to the nimble and masterful hand of the Rider. While the horse trots with the bit and moves with its hooves, it is the Rider who steers it hither and thither, acting as its true guide.

Therefore, 'We went to the gardens, hoping for a flower' symbolizes human endeavors that rely solely on appearances and material means, while 'It showed a flower, but then gave a thorn' represents the futility and frustration born of disregarding the hidden divine orchestration. This 'divine cunning' (makr-i yazdān) — here signifying profound divine wisdom and strategy — remains veiled from those who have become 'slaves of causes' (banda-i sabab) and cling to contingent causalities. Here, Rumi echoes Ghazali in Tahafut al-Falasifa, where Ghazali seeks to refute natural causality and emphasize God's immediate power. Later, Kant, with his epistemological insights, reiterates this very point, suggesting that many continuities and causalities we perceive in nature do not originate from nature itself, but rather from our own minds, which impose them upon the world. Rumi similarly presents a worldview where doctors and naturalists, in their exploration of natural causes, perceive the 'horse' but fail to see the 'Rider,' oblivious that there is a 'mover' who is indeed 'moved' by an ultimate mover.

Key takeaways

• Humanity often pursues apparent good, only to be deceived by superficial causes and remain oblivious to divine orchestration.
• What appears to be a flower at first glance may ultimately yield a painful thorn, a consequence of our disregard for the true Rider.
• Rumi likens natural scientists and those reliant on apparent causes to a bridle-less horse that feels only the pain of the bit, ignorant of its Rider.
• The critique of natural causality in this verse reflects Ash'arite thought (like Ghazali's) and even Kantian insights on the mind's role in perceiving the world.
• Life's disappointments and 'thorns' serve as an invitation to transcend superficial causes and recognize the hidden hand of the world's orchestrator.