M6:3655 — چون بکرد آن منع دلشان زان مقال / در هوس افتاد و در کوی خیال

Translation: When that prohibition through speech engaged their hearts, They fell into desire and into the lane of imagination. Meaning: This verse illustrates how a prohibition, rather than deterring, often ignites a powerful longing in the human heart, drawing the mind into the realm of imagining the forbidden.

Here, I am delving into the symbolic narrative of the princes and the forbidden castle, which is profoundly allegorical. The princes roam their father's dominion, yet there exists a specific castle—which Mowlana calls the "enchanting castle," a fortress replete with forms, figurations, and imagery—that is strictly forbidden to them. The crucial point, then, lies in this very prohibition issued by the father.

This paternal interdiction, contrary to its intended effect, only intensifies the princes' covetousness. Had the prohibition not been articulated, perhaps no desire for that castle would ever have germinated in their hearts, for it was not "well-known" and remained "hidden" from common view. But the moment the father spoke of the ban, their hearts were seized by a fervent longing for it, and they wandered into its imaginative precincts. It was as if a fresh eagerness, born precisely from this prohibition, settled upon their souls, compelling them to uncover its secrets.

This reveals a profound psychological truth about human nature, one that Mowlana emphasizes with great force. He poses the rhetorical question: "Who is it that refrains from the forbidden? / For indeed, al-insānu ḥarīṣun ʿalā mā munʿa" (Man is greedy for what he is forbidden). This Arabic expression, whether a Hadith or a mere wise adage, articulates a fundamental psychological principle. It demonstrates that in the nature of most human beings, prohibition does not merely prevent, but rather provokes desire and fans the flames of yearning. Although Mowlana later explores whether this applies to all and introduces noteworthy exceptions, the focus here is squarely on this universal human principle.

Key takeaways

• Prohibition, contrary to its primary aim, often amplifies greed and desire for the forbidden.
• The forbidden castle in the story symbolizes that which, through prohibition, takes root in the human imagination and preoccupies the mind.
• Mowlana points to a profound psychological principle here: al-insānu ḥarīṣun ʿalā mā munʿa (man is greedy for what is forbidden); the urge to break taboos lies within many human beings.
• The tale of the princes and the enchanting castle is an allegory for humanity's pull towards that from which it has been withheld.