M6:1064 — چون بود مسی که بر اکسیر زد / مفلسی بر گنج پر توفیر زد

Translation: How was it for a copper that struck upon an elixir? Or a pauper who struck upon a treasure full of profit? Meaning: This couplet uses two potent metaphors to describe the sudden, miraculous transformation and profound wonder experienced when one encounters an unexpected and immense divine bounty.

This couplet, following the narrative of Bilal and the Prophet, embodies Rumi's boundless love and fervent longing for the Messenger of God. Here, Rumi projects himself into Bilal's experience, wishing he were the one who, upon seeing the Prophet's face, would fall unconscious and receive that unparalleled divine bounty. The verse, in essence, describes that pure moment of sudden transformation and transfiguration that occurs through proximity to the source of divine grace. Copper, of negligible worth, is instantly turned into pure gold merely by 'striking upon an elixir' – not by seeking it out, nor by toiling over it, but by a sudden, chance encounter. Likewise, the pauper, utterly destitute, becomes absolutely rich not through work or seeking, but by 'striking upon a treasure full of profit,' that is, encountering it unexpectedly. Rumi employs these metaphors to describe the divine gift that reached Bilal; a bounty not earned, but bestowed as 'bakhshesh'—an unmerited grace. This is not a gradual change, but an instantaneous, fundamental metamorphosis that elevates one's being from a base to a sublime essence. This transformation is of a kind that Dr. Zarrinkoub beautifully termed the 'alchemy of love.' In the presence of God's saints and prophets, a person, like copper next to an elixir, is utterly transformed. This couplet is not merely a description of Bilal's state, but Rumi's own unspoken yearning; a longing that, in his imagination, his soul would be alongside the Prophet, hearing secrets and receiving wisdom from him, without any veil in between. This echoes the profound meaning of his earlier verse in Book One: 'From you it shone on me, since you keep it hidden.'

Key takeaways

• Profound, sudden transformation occurs through divine grace, not through effort, but through an unexpected encounter.
• The critical importance of proximity to sources of divine emanation (Prophets, saints) in changing one's inner essence.
• Divine grace is an unmerited, often unsought gift that alters one's very being.
• This couplet reflects Rumi's intense personal yearning for a direct, physical experience of the Prophet's grace.