M6:3888 — یک زمانی اشک‌ریزان جمله‌شان / بر سر خوان مصیبت خون‌فشان

Translation: At one time, all of them were shedding tears, Upon the table of sorrow, gushing forth blood. Meaning: This couplet describes the three princes, consumed by profound love and melancholy, weeping so intensely over their shared affliction that it is as if they are seated at a feast of sorrow, shedding tears like blood.

This couplet presents an intense and vibrant portrayal of the state of the three princes, who have fallen into a profound sowdā (melancholy), which Rumi himself equates with ʿishq (love). I contend that this condition of a khwān-i muṣībat (table of sorrow) is not merely a symbol of an event, but an embodiment of a sudden and overwhelming shared grief that has enveloped and connected their entire beings. The expressions ashk-rīzān (shedding tears) and khūn-fashān (gushing forth blood) are not hyperboles; rather, they are reflections of the boundless intensity of their emotions, blurring the line between tears and blood, and signifying a depth of suffering that transcends any conventional articulation. They are empathetic, like-minded, and united in their sighs within this ocean of melancholy.

From a deeper perspective, this couplet serves as an introduction to a narrative where Rumi aims to highlight the distinction between theoretical wisdom and lived experience. These princes, who had previously been counselors and guides to their people, inviting others to patience in the face of calamities, now find themselves powerless before the fire of love and the melancholy arising from it. This scene illustrates how even the greatest moral teachers, when confronted with the flame of love, descend from the position of counsel and admonition to one of weeping and blood-shedding. This is the very maḥw (effacement) that surpasses naḥw (grammar); a place where the grammar of acquired knowledge falls silent before the fiery language of the heart, leaving only the language of tears and sighs. This transformation from offering 'good counsel' to 'shedding bloody tears' is itself a profound lesson that Rumi subtly imparts through his stories.

Key takeaways

• The intensity of love and melancholy can consume individuals to the point where their tears transform into blood.
• The 'table of sorrow' symbolizes a gathering and sharing in suffering, where a collective grief unites everyone present.
• This couplet vividly portrays the peak of love-induced melancholia, a state where one's entire being is engulfed by sorrow.
• This event underscores the inadequacy of theoretical knowledge and acquired wisdom when confronted with the profound and burning experience of love.