M1:1601 — زانک تاریکست و هر سو پنبه‌زار / درمیان پنبه چون باشد شرار

This couplet is spoken by the merchant, who has just delivered a message from his caged parrot to the wild parrots of India. To his horror, one of the wild parrots immediately shivers, falls, and dies. The merchant is consumed by regret, realizing that his words, intended as a simple report, have caused a tragic death. He laments, 'This language is like a stone and also like iron; and what springs from the tongue is like fire.' (M1:1599). He then warns against striking 'stone and iron together needlessly,' whether in jest or earnest (M1:1600).

This couplet (M1:1601) extends that metaphor: the world is 'dark' and 'everywhere a field of cotton,' meaning it is a place full of flammable material (the hearts and minds of people, especially those susceptible to grief or passion). His 'spark' of a message, though small, found fertile ground for destruction. Rumi uses this incident to highlight the profound power and responsibility of speech. Words are not neutral; they carry immense potential for both healing and harm, especially when spoken without awareness of the listener's state or the broader context. The 'darkness' suggests ignorance or hidden sensitivities, making the 'cotton field' even more perilous for an unthinking 'spark.'