M6:2703 — ما کییم این را بیا ای یار من / روز من روشن کن از خلق حسن

Translation: Who are we for this? Come, O my Beloved! / Brighten my day by a beautiful creation. Meaning: The poet questions human inadequacy in the face of boundless divine grace, then pleads with the Beloved to draw near and illuminate his life through His noble character and transformative beauty.

In this concise couplet, Rumi descends abruptly from profound ontological discussions and the divine alchemy of the cosmos to the pinnacle of personal yearning and mystical need. Prior to this verse, he spoke of God's wondrous method of transforming 'ḥadath' (filth) into 'nargis and nasrīn' (daffodils and wild roses), emphasizing 'hakadhā yumḥī al-ilāhu al-sayyiʾāt' – how God obliterates impurities and transmutes sins into virtues. This refers to the biological cycles and material transformations in nature, which, from the mystic's perspective, symbolize the spiritual metamorphosis of vices into merits. God performs such wonders even with the worst of things, turning them into flowers and plants.

Now, at the height of expressing this divine grandeur and generosity, Rumi (or, in the context of the preceding tale, the loving mouse) asks, with a tone overflowing with humility and subservience, 'Mā kayyīm īn rā?' (Who are we for this?). This question places the entire being of the humble servant before the infinite majesty of the Divine. What are we compared to such divine grace and power? This is an existential inquiry, by no means a philosophical or intellectual quest for a concept or rational answer. Rather, it signifies the mystic's annihilation and non-being in the face of Absolute Being. Rumi repeatedly emphasized that true knowledge of existence and God is not achieved through concepts and pure intellect, but through an unqualified and incomparable connection with the 'Lord of Mankind.' 'Fahmi īn mawqūf shud bar marg-i mard' (understanding this depends on the death of the man) means that until we free ourselves from the bondage of the mind and conceptualization, this profound perception will not be attained. This is where 'nafs-kushī' (killing of the self) and 'qahr-i nafs' (subduing the self) signify not the inactivation of faculties, but the silencing of the mind's engine and transcending its grasp.

Following this confession of smallness and incapacity, the verse continues with an ardent plea: 'Biyā ay yār-i man, rūz-i man rowshan kun az khulq-i ḥasan' (Come, O my Beloved, brighten my day with a beautiful creation/character). This 'my Beloved' is the same cherished One previously addressed as 'O dear, loving Companion' and 'O Prince, independent of my sorrow.' This Beloved is undoubtedly God, with whom Rumi maintains a direct and intimate relationship. The request 'brighten my day' is a supplication for inner illumination and spiritual openness, an openness achieved not through knowledge or thought, but through the Beloved's 'khulq-i ḥasan.' 'Khulq-i ḥasan' here can carry two meanings, both valid within Rumi's discourse: first, God's own noble character, as He is the embodiment of beauty and goodness, and desires to manifest it within the seeker; and second, the Beloved's act of beautifying the seeker's own character. Immediately after this verse, Rumi speaks of his own 'zashtī va makrūhī' (ugliness and detestability), indicating his wish for the same divine alchemy that transforms nature's impurities into flowers and plants, to also transform his inner 'ugliness' into 'khulq-i ḥasan.' This is the very process of 'sayyiʾāt ḥasanāt mī-shavand' (sins becoming virtues) that occurs not only in the external world but also within the seeker's soul.

Thus, this couplet is not merely a request to the Beloved, but a deep confession of inherent human unworthiness, coupled with hope in boundless divine grace. It is not 'khulq-i ḥasan' that we bring forth ourselves, but a grace from the Friend that illuminates the day of our soul and transforms the darkness of the self into beauty. This verse invites us to look at an aspect of existence that transcends concepts and the mind, where the soul directly contacts truth and is 'brightened' by the Beloved's 'presence.' Rumi seeks an illumination that arises from the presence of the Beloved's 'khulq-i ḥasan,' not from understanding its concept. This brightness is the fruit of a union that comes at the end of the journey of estrangement and separation, just as the reed has not forgotten its reed-bed and seeks to return to its origin.

Key takeaways

• The verse shifts from cosmic divine alchemy to the intimate, personal spiritual need of the seeker.
• "Who are we for this?" expresses the servant's humility and annihilation before God's boundless grace.
• The plea "Brighten my day by a beautiful creation" is a request for internal transformation from perceived "ugliness" to "beauty" by the Beloved.
• True perception of reality arises not from intellect or concepts, but by quieting the mind and achieving existential connection.
• "Khulq-i Ḥasan" signifies the manifestation of divine beauty within the seeker and the transformation of their character.
• The couplet underscores God's universal generosity, which extends to all regardless of their inherent worthiness.