M6:1599 — نیست در ضبطت چو بگشادی دهان / از پی صافی شود تیره روان

Translation: Once you open your mouth, it is no longer in your control; / After clarity, the flowing stream turns murky. Meaning: Rumi warns that once speech begins, it easily escapes our grasp, and what starts clear and truthful can quickly become muddled and erroneous.

This verse from Mowlana delivers a profound and fundamental warning about the perils of excessive speech, even when that speech begins with truth. He states that even if you utter two words of truth, the engine of your eloquence will ignite and no longer release you. Here, Mowlana alludes to the Arabic proverb, «الکَلامُ یَجُرُّ الکَلام» (speech begets speech). Once you open your mouth, this river of words starts flowing, and it is no longer within your zabt (control). It is as if a spring initially yields clear water, but after a while, muddy and turbid water begins to flow from it.

This phenomenon, in my view, expresses the truth that the human soul, especially in the context of verbal expression, is prone to error. One whose speech is abundant will also make many mistakes, for reason is not always stable and firm. There might be moments when clarity fails, a moment of heedlessness descends, and inappropriate words escape the lips. This point is also affirmed in traditions: «مَن کَثُرَ کَلامُهُ کَثُرَ خَطَؤُهُ» (he whose speech is much, his errors are much).

This counsel towards 'silence,' or at least not being an 'initiator' (shāreʿ) of speech, even regarding harf-i roshd (virtuous speech), is a crucial mystical principle. Mowlana states: 'Do not initiate that word of truth / For speech drags speech from it.' This means, do not be the one to begin speaking, even if the speech is virtuous; for speech brings other speech in its wake, drawing a person into darkness and error.

Only the infallible, those under divine protection, can open their mouths without fear, because the source of their speech is always pure, and everything that issues from it is 'nectar upon nectar.' But for us, who do not possess infallibility, controlling the tongue is vital; for opening one's mouth is the beginning of a path whose end is not guaranteed, and it is highly likely that the initial clarity will lead to inner and outer turbidity.

Key takeaways

• Abundance of speech, even truthful speech, is perilous due to the soul's prone-to-error nature.
• Speech is like a spring that, after initial clarity, may turn murky.
• Initiating speech can draw one into a current that becomes uncontrollable.
• Avoiding talkativeness, even in virtuous matters, is a sign of mystical vigilance.
• Only the infallible possess speech that remains perpetually pure and clear.