M6:720 — این سخن‌خایی دراز از بهر چیست / گفت مطرب زانک مقصودم خفیست

Translation: Why is this long chewing of words? The minstrel said: Because my aim is hidden.

Meaning: The verse means that extensive and elaborate speech arises because the speaker's true aim or purpose is subtle and concealed. Since the truth is not evident, words must be expanded to, perhaps, unveil it.

This verse presents one of Rumi's profound internal dialogues, illuminating the effervescent spring of his wisdom. "Sokhan-khāʾī" (سخن‌خایی), literally "chewing words," refers to elaborating and extending speech, much like a parrot continuously chews sugar. The question is posed: why does Rumi, or more precisely, the divine minstrel (moṭreb) within Rumi, prolong his discourse so extensively? Why does he not content himself with brevity?

The answer is clear and direct: "My aim is hidden" (maqṣūdam khafīst). My purpose and goal are veiled and concealed. The truth is so shrouded that it cannot be articulated through short, straightforward words. It is as if the aim is a fluid that cannot be grasped, a light invisible to the eye, or water that takes the shape of any vessel, lacking a fixed essence. In such a situation, there is no choice but to elaborate, to circle around the truth through extensive speech, hoping that from the multitude of words, a fragment of that hidden unity might be unveiled.

However, this "hiddenness of the aim" has another dimension that is less frequently noted. Sometimes, truth is so profound and precious that not only is brevity insufficient for its expression, but even extensive elaboration reaches an impasse. It is at this juncture that Rumi addresses himself, saying, "This chewing of words, it is time for lip-biting" (īn sokhan-khā, nowbat-e lab-khāʾīst). This implies that the time has come to seal one's lips and embrace silence, to bite one's lip and desist from speaking. Why? "If you tell the people, it will be a disgrace/scandal" (gar begūʾī khalq rā, roswāʾīst). Some truths are so sharp and incisive—"points are as sharp as steel swords" (noktehā chon tīgh-e pūlād ast tīz)—that their utterance not only fails to lead to understanding but can result in "disgrace": either the disgrace of the speaker, or the disgrace of the listener due to misapprehension.

Thus, the "hiddenness of the aim" has two wings: one, the wing of elaborated speech to bring the concept closer to the mind; the other, the wing of silence to preserve the sanctity of truth. The Masnavi, in its entirety, is a flight with the first wing; that is, where Rumi, through various allegories, stories, and similes, engages in years of "word-chewing" to reveal the hidden truth of love and divine unity. Yet, behind this extensive discourse, the shadow of "lip-biting" is ever-present. The epithet "Khāmūsh" (Silent), Rumi's pen name, is not merely his humility but an acknowledgment that some of the deepest intentions cannot be contained within words and are only accessible through silence and direct experience.

Key takeaways

• Rumi's extensive discourse is born not from verbosity, but from the concealed nature of his ultimate aim.
• The Masnavi's ultimate goal is to articulate profound truths that can only be represented through successive narratives and multiple metaphors.
• Sometimes truths are so deep that even elaborate speech is insufficient, and silence (lip-biting) is the only way to preserve their sanctity.
• Certain spiritual truths are so sharp and incisive that speaking them plainly to the general public can lead to misunderstanding or 'disgrace'.
• Rumi's poetic name 'Khāmūsh' (Silent) points both to the abundance of meaning in brevity and to the necessity of silence before certain truths.