M1:184 — گفت تدبیر آن بوَد کان مرد را / حاضر آریم از پی این درد را

Translation: He said, "The plan is to bring that man / To us for the sake of this pain." Meaning:* The divine physician advises the king that the solution to the slave girl's suffering of love is to summon the man she desires.

Here, in this couplet, the divine physician, having accurately diagnosed the slave girl's hidden pain – her love for the goldsmith – proposes this "plan" (tadbir) to the king. This plan, ostensibly a solution for the girl's suffering, is in fact the beginning of a grand deception and a fatal journey for the unsuspecting goldsmith. It is at this juncture that I see Rumi, with utmost artistry, hitting two targets with one arrow: he both reveals the path to healing and foreshadows the impending catastrophe.

First, we must acknowledge Rumi's language. The phrase "آن مرد را / حاضر آریم از پی این درد را" uses the particle 'rā' at the end of the clauses, a common linguistic feature in Rumi's time, though less prevalent today. Yet, beyond this linguistic detail, a profound meaning is embedded. This 'tadbir' serves as a brilliant illustration of Rumi's recurring teaching: "one thing arises from another" (kār az kār khīzad dar jahān). The king's love for the slave girl led him to the divine physician; now, the physician's strategy draws the goldsmith towards his own demise. This chain of causes and effects demonstrates how events, even those initiated with good intentions, can lead to unforeseen and often tragic destinies.

The greedy goldsmith, lured by wealth and status, embarks on a journey that, on the surface, promises great rewards (robes, gold, and proximity to the king), but in reality, leads him to sūʾ al-qaḍā – an evil destiny. Rumi beautifully compares this allure to a "kiss of death," akin to Judas betraying Christ with a kiss. The outwardly charming façade conceals a deadly interior. The goldsmith travels willingly and with false delight towards his death, believing the robes and gold are gifts, unaware they are his blood-money. This deception illustrates the deceptive nature of the world and its superficial attractions, luring humans to ruin while they perceive themselves as successful and happy.

Another crucial point emerging here is the deep, internal structure of the Mathnawi. Rumi uses the term sūʾ al-qaḍā in this section, and he repeats it in the concluding verses of the first book, in the context of Imam Ali's martyrdom. This deliberate repetition of words and themes at the beginning and end of a book, or indeed the entire Mathnawi, strongly suggests a pre-ordained "plan" for its composition. This stands in stark contrast to the view that the Mathnawi is merely a collection of unrelated, associative stories. Rumi, without a doubt, pursued a coherent intellectual architecture beneath the flow of his words and tales. He consciously understood the fabric of his text and chose words not by accident, but with a hidden purpose. This is why we must approach the Mathnawi with greater precision and care, for every word can be a key to unlocking a treasury of meanings hidden beneath the surface.

Key takeaways

• The physician's plan, though insightful, initiates a chain of unintended consequences.
• This verse exemplifies 'one thing arises from another,' illustrating hidden causal chains.
• Worldly allurements and attractive facades often lead individuals unknowingly toward an ill destiny (sūʾ al-qaḍā).
• Rumi's deliberate use of sūʾ al-qaḍā at both the beginning and end of the first book points to a pre-planned structure for the Mathnawi.
• The goldsmith's greed and unawareness lead him on what is, in essence, his 'journey of death.'