M1:132 — شرح این هجران و این خون جگر / این زمان بگذار تا وقت دگر

Translation: The explanation of this separation and this bleeding heart Leave for now, till another time. Meaning: This verse is Mowlana's response to the soul's insistence that he speak of his spiritual states. He states that he cannot explain the pain of separation and his 'bleeding heart' at this moment, deferring it to a later time due to his state of annihilation (fanā) which renders him incapable of proper articulation.

Mowlana, in this verse, offers a profound and precise response to his own 'soul' (jān), which implores him to fulfill the "right of companionship" (ḥaqq-e ṣuḥbat) and articulate his "joyous states" (khosh-ḥāl-hā). His soul, having caught "the scent of Joseph's shirt" (a potent symbol of reunion and union), presses him to speak of these profound experiences. However, Mowlana, as a fully realized mystic, finds himself in a state where language is utterly inadequate for such a task.

I maintain that this passage from the Masnavi represents an internal dialogue between Mowlana and the seeker-aspect of his own being. When the soul insists on hearing an account of those sweet and joyous states, Mowlana, with humility yet also decisiveness, speaks of his inability to articulate. He responds in Arabic: «Lā tukallifnī fa-innī fi ’l-fanā / Kallat afhāmī fa-lā uḥṣī thanā» – "Do not burden me, for I am in a state of annihilation (fanā); my understanding has dulled, and I cannot fully praise." This expression is directly borrowed from the blessed prayer of the Prophet (PBUH): "Subḥānaka lā uḥṣī thanāʾan ʿalayk" (Glory be to You, I cannot fully praise You). The mystic, at the height of fanā, perceives himself to be so utterly absorbed in the Beloved that any utterance, even praise, becomes an impertinence. He is alienated from himself; «Man cheh gūyam yek ragam hūshyār nīst / Sharḥ-e ān yārī keh ū-rā yār nīst» – "What can I say when not a single vein in me is conscious? How can I explain that Beloved who has no peer?"

It is for this reason that he defers the explanation of this "separation" (hejrān) and this "bleeding heart" (khūn-e jegar) – which are, of course, Mowlana's existential reality and which he does not deny – to another time. The crucial point is that Mowlana does not deny the pain; rather, he postpones its articulation due to the inadequacy of language in the face of the depth of the fanā experience. This postponement does not stem from unwillingness, but from the fact that anything uttered by a "ghayr-al-mufīq" (one who is not fully conscious, meaning not yet fully recovered from the intoxication of fanā) is «lā yalīq» (unbefitting). This itself indicates a state of intoxication and immersion that renders speech insufficient.

However, the soul is persistent and immediately retorts: «Ṣūfī ibn-ul-waqt bāshad ey rafīq / Nīst fardā goftan az sharṭ-e ṭarīq» – "The Sufi is the child of the moment, O friend; saying 'tomorrow' is not a condition of the Path." The soul insists that time is a cutting sword and a Sufi must be a 'child of the moment,' not postponing matters. Here, the tension between the mystical state (ḥāl) and the imperative of articulation becomes evident in Mowlana's character. He delivers an admonition to himself and to his listener: that which resides in your heart now, the energy and motivation that shape your present state, must be addressed now. This verse, in essence, serves as a prelude to the profound discussion of the Sufi's "ibn-ul-waqt" nature and the importance of living in the present moment, while simultaneously expressing the linguistic limitations of humans in confronting grand mystical experiences.

Key takeaways

• Mowlana does not deny the pain of separation, but defers its explanation due to his absorption in fanā.
• At the height of fanā, the mystic is so utterly absorbed in the Beloved that any articulation or praise is deemed unbefitting, even if well-intended.
• This verse illustrates the internal tension between the mystical state (fanā) and the imperative to articulate it (for the soul or the listener).
• The inadequacy of language when confronting profound mystical experiences is itself a key lesson from this verse.
• The soul, by invoking the principle of the 'child of the moment' (ibn-ul-waqt), emphasizes the importance of living in the present and avoiding procrastination.