M1:138 — گفت مکشوف و برهنه بی‌ غُلول / بازگو، دفعم مَده ای بوالفضول

Translation: It said: Unveiled and naked, without reservation / Recount it all, do not dismiss me, oh you of many virtues! Meaning: This verse expresses the soul's or seeker's insistence on an unadorned, complete truth. It is a plea to the one who wishes to keep secrets to not turn the seeker away from unmediated union.

This verse marks the zenith of the thirsty soul's insistence and persistence in demanding pure, unveiled truth. Here, Mowlana portrays the boundless desire of the human lover for un-veiled union with the Beloved, such that no screen should separate them.

I hear this as the voice of a parched soul, as if in dialogue with the Beloved, or perhaps even with a more cautious aspect of Mowlana himself. It demands that the secret be told "unveiled and naked, without guile" (mankshūf va berehne bī ghulūl). Ghulūl here does not mean treachery or withholding, but rather, as I interpret it, "without any reduction or addition"; neither more nor less. The soul demands truth in its barest form, without any adornment or veil. This insistence is a reaction to any call for discretion and the preservation of secrets, perhaps alluded to in previous verses (M1:137).

The verse continues: "Recount it all, do not dismiss me, oh you of many virtues!" (bāz-gū, daf’am ma-deh ay bovl-fazūl). To "dismiss" (daf’ dādan) means to push someone away or cast them aside. The one who wishes to keep the secret veiled is here addressed with "oh you of many virtues" (ay bovl-fazūl), a phrase that, in this context, I understand as a lighthearted rebuke to someone who is perhaps being overzealous or meddlesome in trying to maintain secrecy. The soul refuses to be dismissed; it will not let go of this complete, unveiled union. It is here that Mowlana, through the voice of the ardent soul, speaks of a state where "I cannot contain myself with the idol in a shirt" (mī-na-gunjam bā sanam dar pīrahan). It is as if the lover can no longer bear any distance, not even a shirt, between himself and the Beloved, wishing for this ultimate veil to be lifted.

This yearning for nakedness and un-veiled union is also expressed by Mowlana in Book Six, in the story of the princes, where he states: "I became naked from the body, He from imagination / I wander in the ultimates of union" (man shodam ‘uryān ze tan, ū az khayāl / mī-kharāmam dar nihāyāt-ul visāl). This attainment of ultimate union is when the last veils are removed. Saʿdi, too, in his love ghazals, though within the context of earthly love, expresses a similar longing: "Between us nothing but a shirt will remain / And if it be a veil, I will tear it to its hem" (miyān-e mā va to juz pīrahan na-khāhad mānd / va-gar hijāb shavad tā be dāmanash ba-daram). This demonstrates that this feeling of removing the final veils is a deep, intrinsic desire within our mystical and romantic literature.

I always recall that in Manāqib al-ʿĀrifīn (Biographies of the Gnostics), it is recorded that during Mowlana's final illness, Sadr al-Dīn Qūnavī, one of Ibn al-ʿArabī's greatest disciples, came to visit him and said: "May God grant you a swift recovery!" (shafā-k Allāh shifā’an ‘ājilā). Mowlana opened his eyes and replied: "From now on, may recovery be for you! Between me and the Beloved, only one shirt remains!" This "shirt" symbolizes that final veil, death, which Mowlana eagerly awaited to be lifted to achieve complete union. This is an incredibly powerful symbol, showing that this verse is not merely a poetic expression but a reflection of the mystic's ultimate yearning for connection with the Beloved.

However, immediately after this insistence of the soul, in the subsequent verses (M1:139-142), Mowlana responds to this demand, warning that if this veil were completely lifted, neither the seeker nor his 'between' and 'beside' would remain: "Desire, but desire with measure / A single straw cannot bear a mountain" (ārezū mī-khāh lēk andāzeh khāh / bar-na-tābad kūh-rā yak barg-e kāh). Here, he wisely deems the veil necessary. In fact, our very existence depends on this veil, a veil to which Khayyam also alludes in his famous quatrain: "Behind the curtain, our discourse flows, you and I / But when the curtain falls, neither you nor I remain" (hast az pas-e pardeh goft-o-gū-ye man-o-to / choon pardeh bar-oftad nah to māni nah man). This verse (M1:138) precisely captures the intersection of this burning passion for unveiled union and the necessary wisdom of veiling, which prevents the seeker's complete annihilation. The Masnavi, with such subtlety, narrates these internal tensions and contradictions.

Key takeaways

• The verse depicts the audacious demand of the seeker for unmediated, unveiled truth.
• "Nakedness" or "shirtless" serves as a symbol for ultimate intimacy and proximity to the Beloved.
• It reflects the internal tension between the desire for full revelation and the necessity of veils for human existence.
• This insistence originates from the 'soul' (jān), highlighting the tenacity of the truth-thirsty spirit.
• References to Mowlana's deathbed words and poems by Saʿdi and Khayyam underscore the profound depth of this desire.