M6:1654 — مستمع چون یافت جاذب زان وفود / جمله اجزااش حکایت گشته بود

Translation: When the listener found receptiveness in those assembled, every part of the narrator became a tale. Meaning: This verse illustrates how an eager and receptive audience can elevate a speaker, transforming their entire being into a vibrant and engaged narration.

Mowlana introduces this verse amidst a charming, somewhat humorous tale, the "Story of the Turk and the Tailor." Following the heavy philosophical and theological discussions between the Sufi and the Qadi regarding the creation and nature of the world, Mowlana, with a sense of timely expediency (maslahat-i vaqt), begins a story to relieve the audience's fatigue and bring a smile to their faces. It is within this context that he touches upon a profoundly essential and influential point concerning the dynamic between speaker and listener.

This verse, in essence, articulates a deep truth in the realm of discourse and expression. A storyteller who encounters an 'attractive' (jāzib) audience—meaning listeners who are eagerly attentive and receptive—no longer speaks merely with their tongue. Instead, "jūmle ajzā’ash hekāyat gashte būd" (every part of their being became a tale). Their entire presence, from their eyes and brows to their hand gestures and vocal intonation, all come to serve the narrative. They are, in the true sense of the word, entirely immersed in storytelling, transforming themselves into the story itself.

I have emphasized for years that the listener's influence on the speaker is, perhaps, even greater than the speaker's influence on the listener. The noble prophetic tradition, where the Prophet said: "Indeed, God inspires wisdom upon the tongue of preachers according to the earnestness of the listeners" (Inna Allāh yulaqqin al-ḥikmah ʿalā lisān al-wāʿiẓīn bi-qadar himam al-mustamiʿīn), precisely affirms this meaning. This implies that even God considers the earnestness and enthusiasm of the listeners, not solely the speaker's status. If the audience is not eager, the speaker becomes uninspired, and their words do not flow. As Mowlana himself states: "It is the absorption of hearing if someone is sweet-tongued / The warmth and earnestness of the teacher come from the student.

Or consider the example of the lute player who masters twenty-four modes; yet, if they find no ear to listen, the lute becomes a "burden" (bār) to them, and "no melody comes to mind, no ghazal." (na ḥarāre āyadash na ghazal).

This principle holds true not only in storytelling and preaching but also in teaching and learning. A teacher with dull and unenthusiastic students loses their passion and zeal for teaching. Saʿdi of Shiraz beautifully expressed this point: "If the listener comprehends not the word / Seek not power of nature from the speaker / Bring forth a spacious field of desire / That the eloquent speaker may strike the ball.

Therefore, this verse is not merely a description of a storytelling scene but an articulation of a cosmic rule regarding the transmission of knowledge and art. The fervor and vitality emanating from the speaker are a reflection of the listener's eagerness and receptiveness. The more prepared and eager the listener's inner being, the more profoundly and vibrantly the speaker expresses themselves, and their entire existence, from atom to whole, transforms into a narrative and a message.

Key takeaways

• An eager listener elevates the speaker to the peak of expression and full presence; the speaker's entire being transforms into the narrative.
• This verse highlights the profound, reciprocal influence between speaker and listener: the speaker's passion and fervor stem from the audience's receptiveness and eagerness.
• Mowlana applies this principle across various contexts, from storytelling to teaching and divine inspiration.
• A lack of audience enthusiasm stifles even the most skilled artists and preachers; art without an eager ear becomes a heavy burden.
• This fundamental principle is crucial not only in art and discourse but also in understanding and receiving truths; divine wisdom, too, flows according to the listener's earnestness.