Read› Daftar 4› The complete story of that lover who fled from the watchmen into an unknown garden, where he found his beloved, and in his joy, he prayed for the watchmen, saying, 'Perhaps you dislike a thing and it is good for you'› beyt 56
M4:56 — که زیان کردم عسس را از گریز / بیست چندان سیم و زر بر وی بریز
M4:56
Meaning · به زبانِ تو — Your language · AI
The lover prays that God should reward the night-watchman who chased him, realizing that the man's threatening pursuit was the very cause of his blissful union with his beloved.
This couplet contains the lover's prayer immediately after finding his beloved in the garden. He had run from the night-watchman (ʿasas) in fear, seeing him as a threat. Now, he understands that the watchman was an unwitting instrument of divine providence. The chase, which seemed a terrible misfortune, was the direct cause of his finding this hidden treasure.
His prayer is a form of repentance and gratitude. He feels he “wronged” the watchman not by a direct act, but by misjudging his role and fleeing from what was, in reality, a blessing in disguise. He asks God to shower the watchman with wealth—twenty times what he might have extorted—transforming the potential loss into an immense gain. This act highlights a key theme in the Masnavi: apparent evils or hardships are often hidden mercies that guide the seeker toward their ultimate goal. The lover's prayer is a practical expression of the Qur'anic verse cited in the story's title: 'Perhaps you may hate a thing and it is good for you' (2:216).
- عسس
- The night-watchman or city patrol; a figure of state authority, often seen as menacing or corrupt.
- زیان کردم
- Literally, 'I caused a loss' or 'I did harm'. Here, it conveys a sense of having wronged or misjudged someone.
- سیم و زر
- Literally 'silver and gold'; a common poetic phrase for wealth or money.
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