M6:903 — برگ کاهم پیش تو ای تند باد / من چه دانم که کجا خواهم فتاد

Translation: I am a blade of straw before You, O tempest; / How would I know where I will fall? Meaning: Overwhelmed by the fierce storm of divine love, the speaker expresses utter powerlessness, likening themselves to a light blade of straw with no control over where fate or the Beloved's will might cast them.

This couplet, "I am a blade of straw before You, O tempest; / How would I know where I will fall?," must be read in direct continuation of the preceding verse: "Love is a conqueror, and I am subdued by Love; / Through the tumult of love, I have become sweet as sugar." These two verses, back to back, describe a singular experience in Mowlana's spiritual journey. I, the ardent lover, am conquered and subdued by the overwhelming power of Love; yet, this is not a bitter or forced subjugation, but one filled with sweetness, ecstasy, and joy. This 'conquest' is, paradoxically, a kind of tender caress, a nurturing process that makes the individual more robust and more authentically themselves. The image of a blade of straw caught in a tempest perfectly encapsulates this Mowlana-esque experience. I am not merely subdued; I am weightless and devoid of personal agency. Willpower has vanished, and this relinquishing of will is not a source of pain but of gratitude.

I have often spoken of the "attracted movement" (harakat-e majdhūbāneh), a movement that is neither compulsory nor entirely free, but an intermediary state between the two. The lover rushes and runs towards the Beloved, drawn by an irresistible force, yet this pursuit is neither out of coercion nor purely rational choice. Here, Love is like a tempest that snatches the blade of straw; the straw has no agency, yet an inherent inclination to yield to the wind lies deep within its being. Mowlana himself says, "Amber pulls the bewildered straw." It is this magnetic attraction that determines the path.

Mowlana further frames this experience in terms of qazā and qadar (Divine decree and destiny): "Love is like fate, like destiny, like Divine decree. How can one make an appointment with destiny?" Anyone who seeks to make terms with destiny or expects stability and rest from it is merely ridiculing themselves. Love is precisely this: a colossal, unpredictable force that at every moment paints a new picture and ignites a fresh hue. It is like a storm where no one knows what destiny's quiver will reveal tomorrow.

The anecdote of Solomon and the mosquito in Book Three of the Masnavi serves as a perfect illustration for this couplet. The mosquito complained to Solomon about the wind, which had made it homeless and deprived it of peace and stability. Solomon summoned the wind, but as soon as the wind arrived, the mosquito fled, unable to maintain its composure in the face of the wind's power for Solomon to judge between them. The mosquito exclaimed: "O king, my complaint is from its very existence / My dark day is from its smoke!" meaning, its presence itself is my torment, and I cannot find peace in its presence. Here, too, Mowlana asks: "A blade of straw before the wind, then rest?" How can a blade of straw find peace and stability in a tempest? Love, similarly, instigates a resurrection in the human soul, bestowing new life. In such a state, contemplating worldly concerns or stability becomes meaningless. This couplet is a cry of absolute surrender and liberation from the shackles of individual will in the face of the mighty flood of Divine Love.

Key takeaways

• Love is an overwhelming, conquering force, yet surrender to it is a sweet and ecstatic experience.
• The Beloved irresistibly draws the lover, who becomes as powerless as a blade of straw in a tempest.
• This surrender is neither compulsion nor free will, but an 'attracted movement' originating from the lover's inner yearning.
• Love, like Divine decree and destiny, is unpredictable and untamable; one cannot seek stability or negotiate with it.
• Accepting powerlessness before love leads to liberation from the illusion of personal will and the realization of one's true self.