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 71
M4:71 — زید اندر حق آن شیطان بود / در حق شخصی دگر سلطان بود
M4:71
Meaning · به زبانِ تو — Your language · AI
This couplet states that no person is absolutely good or evil; their character is judged relative to who is experiencing them.
This verse serves as the culminating human example in Rumi's argument about the relativity of good and evil. The preceding lines establish that what is poison for one creature (a human) is life for another (a snake), and what is a garden for one (a fish) is death for another (a land-dweller). Rumi now applies this principle to human relationships.
He uses "Zayd," a generic Arabic name like "John Doe," to represent any person. To someone Zayd has harmed or opposes, he appears to be a shayṭān (a devil, a satanic force). But to someone he has helped or who loves him, that very same Zayd is a sulṭān (a king, a powerful benefactor). The judgment isn't about Zayd's essential nature but about the relationship and perspective of the observer.
This idea is central to the story of the lover who blesses the terrifying night watchman. The watchman, who seemed like an evil threat, was unintentionally the guide who drove the lover straight to his beloved's garden. The "devil" became a "king" through a shift in outcome and perspective. Rumi's point is that we should be cautious in our absolute judgments of people and events, as their ultimate value is often hidden from our limited view.
- زید
- Zayd. A common Arabic male name, used here and in classical Arabic and Persian texts as a generic placeholder, equivalent to "John Doe" or "so-and-so."
- اندر حق
- Literally "in the right of" or "concerning." In this context, it means "in relation to," "from the perspective of," or "as far as [someone] is concerned."
- شیطان
- Shayṭān. An Arabic term for a devil or satanic figure, representing a force of evil, temptation, or opposition.
- سلطان
- Sulṭān. An Arabic term for a ruler, king, or sovereign. Here, it metaphorically means a figure of supreme authority, power, and benevolence; the opposite of a devil.
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