M6:342 — این سخن پایان ندارد بازگرد / سوی شاه و هم‌مزاج باز گرد

Translation: This discourse has no end; return Towards the King and those of the falcon's temperament, return. Meaning: In this verse, Mowlana interrupts a discussion he deems endless, calling the listener to turn away from tangential matters and return to the ultimate core of existence: God and His saints, who have aligned their temperaments with the Divine.

Here, Mowlana pauses, as if speaking directly to the reader: "This discourse has no end." This is not merely a polite interjection but an emblematic feature of Mowlana's unique narrative style. He pours out his words like a gushing river, and at times, he himself intervenes to guide the stream back to its main course. The Masnavi is not a meticulously crafted work with a pre-designed structure, like Hafez's architecture, but rather a spontaneous and unmediated outpouring. This "no end" refers to the preceding discussions on human carnal nature, the pursuit of ephemeral pleasures, and the subsequent regret and rejection (or deh-dādan, meaning to repudiate with all ten fingers) of these illusions. These are pleasures that, like a moth drawn to a flame, promise light but ultimately burn.

The command "return" (bāz-gard) is an authentic spiritual summons. Return from what? From these نفسانی (carnal) ups and downs, from these fruitless circles around a fire whose light is deceptive and whose essence is burning. Return from the repeated experiences of forgetfulness (nisyān) and repentance (tōbah) that leave one stuck in the same place. Mowlana wishes to extract us from this cycle of repetition and confusion, guiding us toward the most fundamental truth of existence. This is a return to one's "origin" (aṣl-i khwīsh), as he stated at the very beginning of the Masnavi: "Whoever remains far from their origin / Seeks again the time of reunion."

"Towards the King" refers to God, the absolute sovereign of existence. This is the return to the ultimate source and eternal Beloved. In Mowlana's perspective, this King is not absent; rather, He is present, "closer to me than I am to myself." Our separation never implies loneliness (tanhāʾī); we are exiles (gharīb) and guests (mēhmān) in this world, but never alone. The path of return is always open.

However, "and those of the falcon's temperament" (ham-mezāj bāz gard) holds particular significance. The bāz (falcon) in mystical literature symbolizes the awliyā-yi ḥaqq (friends/saints of God), who are constantly hunting for truths and perch on the King's arm. This is Mowlana's allusion to "in a seat of truth, near a Mighty King" (Quran 54:55)—a station of sincerity in the presence of an omnipotent Sovereign. Being ham-mezāj (of the same temperament) as the King means these saints have attained such proximity and annihilation (fanāʾ) that their nature and disposition are in perfect harmony with the Divine will and attributes. They are manifestations of God's will. As we saw in the story of Daqīqī in Book Three of the Masnavi, while some, like Daqīqī, still pray and show compassion, there are awliyā "whose tongues are bound from prayer"—they are so content with divine decree that they no longer ask for anything. These are the ham-mezāj bāzān.

Therefore, this verse is not merely a reminder but a spiritual directive: transcend the particulars and interjections of the world, return to the universal and the Absolute, and on this path, seek the company of those who have themselves reached that destination and become aligned in spirit and temperament with the King. This return is not born of fear, but of the yearning for union (wuṣūl) and the attainment of certainty (yaqīn)—a certainty and union that is the rare jewel of our age.

Key takeaways

• Mowlana, with authorial self-awareness, interrupts his discourse to call the listener back from peripheral matters to the core truth.
• The command "return" is an invitation to release oneself from fleeting worldly pleasures and endless cycles of regret and repentance, which ultimately leave one stagnant.
• "Towards the King" signifies returning to God, the origin and eternal Beloved, who is ever-present and near; this is a return from heedlessness, not from absence.
• The "falcons of the same temperament" symbolize the saints of God who, through annihilation (fanāʾ), have achieved such proximity to the Divine that their nature and will are aligned with God's will.
• This verse serves as a spiritual instruction for seeking the company of mystics who have themselves reached the destination and become attuned to the King of Existence.
• Returning to the King and His attuned ones is the path to wuṣūl (union) and yaqīn (certainty), the primary goals of spiritual journey in the Masnavi.