M6:726 — چون رسن یک گز ز صد گز کم بود / آب اندر دلو از چه کی رود

This couplet continues Rumi's argument for the necessity of total self-annihilation, using a simple, powerful image. The section interprets the Prophetic saying, “Die before you die.” Rumi has just compared the spiritual path to a hundred-rung ladder (M6:725); if even two rungs are missing, you cannot reach the roof. Here, he shifts the analogy to a well.

The well represents the source of spiritual life or divine knowledge. The bucket (d دلو) is the seeker's capacity to receive this life, and the rope (رسن) is the discipline, effort, and surrender required to reach the source. A rope that is ninety-nine yards long when the water is a hundred yards deep is completely ineffective. It is not 99% successful; it is 100% a failure. The bucket remains empty.

This image starkly illustrates the non-negotiable nature of spiritual death (mawt). A lingering attachment to the ego, even a small one, prevents the seeker from reaching the water of life. The final step, the last bit of letting go, is what makes the entire journey fruitful. Partial transformation is no transformation at all.