M6:1998 — جوش ده آن بحر گوهر‌بار را / خوش بپرس امروز این بیمار را

Translation: Make that pearl-bearing sea boil; / Kindly inquire today about this sick one. Meaning: Rumi, in this couplet, implores his Beloved to bring his inner sea of knowledge and wisdom to a boil, and to graciously attend to his spiritual condition, so that the truths within him may find expression.

This couplet is a direct address from Rumi to the Eternal Beloved, who, in my estimation, occasionally manifests in the guise of Shams-e Tabrizi and at other times in the form of Husam al-Din Chelebi. These figures are but 'masks' and 'veils' for the presence of that singular, incomparable Beloved. Here, Rumi explicitly speaks of a 'pearl-bearing sea' and refers to himself as 'this sick one.'

Let me elucidate a precise point: Rumi himself was a sea from which the pearls of gnosis flowed and poured. He was, in the truest sense, a 'pearl-bearer.' Yet, he attributes this effervescence and outpouring to Husam al-Din. He states: 'You make this sea boil. You bring me to utterance. You make me articulate, and my eloquent tongue is a reflection of your inspiration and allusions.' This point renders Husam al-Din’s importance in the formation of the Masnavi indisputable. Without Husam al-Din, the Masnavi, as we know it today, would not exist. He was not merely a scribe and recorder but a divine catalyst who stirred Rumi’s inner spring into ebullition.

The 'pearl-bearing sea' is, in essence, Rumi's own heart and soul, overflowing with mystical insights and truths. 'Make it boil' is a plea and an entreaty to the Beloved to bring this inner ocean into motion and fervor, so that its hidden pearls may be revealed. This boiling and surging express Rumi's God-given natural disposition, which, as I have said, poured forth words 'naturally natural,' without the sophisticated artistry of a Hafez. The Masnavi is the product of this 'boiling' and endless outpouring, not of solitary contemplation.

However, 'Kindly inquire today about this sick one.' This 'sick one' is none other than Rumi himself. Having referred to himself as 'saqim' (ailing and weak) in preceding verses and the Beloved as the 'Christ of Mary' (the healer), he re-emphasizes this state here. His 'sickness' is not a physical ailment, but a state of love poised for eruption, yet needing a trigger and attention. 'Kindly inquire' means to ask about the state of this patient with tenderness and compassion. This inquiry and attention are the Christ-like breath that prompts this hollow 'reed' to sing. It is the 'breath' that the reed-player breathes into the reed, which the reed then echoes to the extent of its capacity.

This couplet clearly illustrates the dynamic and dialectic between Rumi (as the reed and the sea) and the Eternal Beloved (in the guise of Husam al-Din as the reed-player and stirrer). Rumi never considers himself the independent owner of his words; he is a conduit for divine grace, opening his lips to speak only through the Beloved's instigation and attention. This self-effacement and ontological negation are necessary conditions for him to become the 'Tongue of God' and command listeners to 'listen.'

Key takeaways

• Rumi identifies himself as both a 'pearl-bearing sea' and 'this sick one,' dependent on the Beloved for his outpouring.
• This verse confirms the critical role of Husam al-Din Chelebi as a divine catalyst who 'makes the Masnavi boil.'
• 'Kindly inquire' is an invitation for the Beloved's attention, triggering the flow of gnosis from within Rumi; his words are a product of 'inquiry,' not solitude.
• Rumi's 'sickness' is not a physical ailment, but a state of longing and readiness for the manifestation of divine grace.
• The couplet emphasizes a unitive theology: Rumi is the conduit, and the true source of the 'pearls' is the Eternal Beloved.