M6:2020 — باد سبلت کی بگنجد و آبِ رو / در شرابی که نگنجد تار مو

Translation: How could the wind of vanity (bād-e seblat) and worldly reputation (āb-e ru) find room / In a wine so pure that not even a strand of hair could fit? Meaning: Mowlana declares that in the state of divine intoxication, there is no place for worldly pride, self-importance, or concern for reputation; these human attachments are utterly shed in the face of pure spiritual experience.

This couplet erupts from Mowlana's soul in a moment of sublime ecstasy, where his passion and spiritual intoxication reach such a peak that he casts aside all concern for worldly conventions and reputation. He has just spoken of those narrow-minded individuals who seek to veil the 'sun' of his being, perhaps referring to critics of his spiritual guide, Husam al-Din. But at this juncture, he suddenly decides to abandon all secrecy, declaring, "I shall pitch my tent in the open plain!"

The 'wind of vanity' (bād-e seblat) is a powerful symbol of the arrogance, self-importance, and pride that accompanies outward display and worldly ambitions. 'Worldly reputation' (āb-e ru) signifies the esteem and standing one seeks in the eyes of others. Mowlana asks: how could these flimsy, ephemeral attachments find room in a 'wine' so utterly pure and overflowing that not even a single strand of hair could fit within it? This 'wine' is a metaphor for divine intoxication, a state of complete self-effacement where the individual is immersed and annihilated, seeing neither a self nor projecting one.

In this realm of spiritual intoxication, selfishness and arrogance dissipate. As Hafez famously observed, if wine offers no other benefit, "it is enough that for a moment it distracts you from the temptations of the intellect." Here, 'intellect' refers to all the illusions and false notions a person harbors about themselves. The wine of love liberates one from the shackles of this 'calculating intellect,' leading to humility and surrender. The intoxicated person weeps, prostrates before others, and all fantasies of dominion and lordship temporarily fall away.

Mowlana's unique style in this couplet is unparalleled in Persian literature. He not only describes a profound mystical state but also issues a declaration regarding the utter worthlessness of all that grants us status and value in the mundane world. Before the 'sea of fire' of divine love and intoxication, neither the 'wind of vanity' nor 'worldly reputation' can endure; all dissolve and are effaced in that absolute purity.

Key takeaways

• In divine intoxication, pride and self-importance are utterly effaced.
• The realm of love leaves no room for worldly reputation or superficial ambitions.
• The purity of mystical experience is so absolute that no impurity (not even a strand of hair) can enter it.
• Mowlana transcends pretense and concealment, revealing his authentic self.
• The wine of love tears away the veils of 'intellect' and the false notions of the ego.