M6:2637 — جوش نطق از دل نشان دوستیست / بستگی نطق از بی‌الفتیست

Translation: The gushing forth of speech from the heart is a sign of friendship; The tying of speech is from a lack of intimacy. Meaning: This couplet suggests that the spontaneous flow of words from one's heart indicates deep friendship and intimacy. Conversely, silence and the inability to speak arise from a lack of affection and familiarity.

I consider this couplet a key to understanding Rumi's method. From where does speech arise? From which heart? And what causes it to cease? Rumi states unequivocally here that "the gushing forth of speech from the heart is a sign of friendship; the tying of speech is from a lack of intimacy." This is a general rule about the source of discourse, which applies perfectly to Rumi himself and the composition of the Masnavi.

I have repeatedly explained that the Masnavi was the product of a spiritual spontaneity, not a planned and artful endeavor. It is like milk gushing from a breast, but this gush only finds its way out when there is a suckler to draw it forth. Rumi tells us that Husam al-Din Chalabi served as the 'suckler' for this milk of speech. This wisdom, this Masnavi, was welling up in Rumi's chest, but it was only in the presence of that 'friend' that it moved from potentiality to actuality. If Husam al-Din had not been there, we would not have seen a Masnavi of this form and volume.

A tangible example of this point is seen in the two-year halt in the composition of the second book of the Masnavi. Rumi states: "For a while this Masnavi was delayed / A respite was needed for blood to become milk." Why the delay? Because Husam al-Din lacked the necessary spiritual readiness to absorb the words. This is a case of "the tying of speech from a lack of intimacy," though here 'lack of intimacy' does not imply anger or malice, but rather the absence of 'encounter' and a readiness to receive and drink. Thus, both the flowing and the drying of speech depend on the presence of the 'other' and their degree of intimacy and readiness.

This phenomenon is not limited to Rumi. We see it in the story of Moses and God in Surah Taha, where God asks Moses, "And what is that in your right hand, O Moses?" God, being the All-Knower, had no need for this question. But the question was meant to prolong the conversation with His Beloved. And Moses responds so beautifully: "It is my staff; I lean upon it, and I bring down leaves for my sheep with it, and I have other uses for it." He, too, wished to extend his conversation with the Beloved. This is precisely "the gushing forth of speech from the heart is a sign of friendship." A heart overflowing with love spontaneously and involuntarily begins to speak, just as Rumi says: "A heart that sees the Beloved, how can it remain sour? / A nightingale that sees a rose, how can it remain silent?" A nightingale does not sing in a thorn patch, but in a rose garden it pours forth its melodies. This describes the state of a person whose face spontaneously brightens and whose tongue loosens when they see their beloved.

Key takeaways

• The flow of words from the heart signifies deep friendship and intimacy; silence indicates a lack of affection.
• Rumi's spontaneous speech in the Masnavi depended on Husam al-Din Chalabi's presence and spiritual readiness.
• The two-year hiatus in the Masnavi's composition (Book Two) exemplifies how 'speech is tied' when the recipient is unready.
• The Quranic dialogue between Moses and God is a divine illustration of prolonging conversation out of love and friendship.
• A lover's heart, like a nightingale in a rose garden, sings and speaks spontaneously, without conscious will.