M6:1263 — در چه کاری تو و بهر چت خرند ؟ / تو چه مرغی و ترا با چه خورند ؟

Translation: In what work are you, and for what would they buy you? What kind of bird are you, and with what would they eat you?

Meaning: With a biting, interrogative tone, Rumi here challenges the reader to a stark and honest self-assessment: if one possesses no particular skill or distinguishing quality, what purpose do they serve, and what value can be ascribed to their existence?

Rumi, having introduced the story of a dervish who, finding an empty house, decides to relieve himself there due to its utter uselessness, turns to his audience. This narrative is a profound allegory: what good is a heart and mind devoid of knowledge, good deeds, virtue, and insight? Following this setup, Rumi embarks on a series of rhetorical questions, summoning humanity to judge itself:

Are you a falcon, trained to hunt for kings? Or a peacock with a hundred beautiful patterns that illuminate the eyes? You are neither a sweet-speaking parrot to be rewarded with sugar, nor a nightingale to sing lovely laments in the garden. You are not even a hoopoe carrying messages, nor a stork building its nest high above. If you are none of these, then "In what work are you, and for what would they buy you? What kind of bird are you, and with what would they eat you?" This implies you are not even fit to be consumed; no benefit whatsoever can be derived from you. This verse marks the zenith of Rumi's deliberate instillation of despair and dread; he desires for humanity to confront itself and recognize its profound emptiness.

Yet, this initial despair is the genesis of a far greater hope. This sword-stroke is not meant to fell, but to awaken. Rumi immediately invites the audience to "God's market": "Rise above this shop with its hagglers / To the shop of His grace where God is the buyer." He asserts that in this market, even worn-out and worthless goods that no one would glance at are purchased: "A commodity that no one from creation would look upon due to its decay / That Generous One bought it." And in an extraordinary couplet, he reveals the key to this transaction: "No 'heart' is rejected by Him / For His intention in buying is not profit." Here, 'heart' (qalb) means both the physical heart and counterfeit goods. God does not trade for profit, but out of immense generosity and munificence. He even transforms our transgressions into good deeds, provided they are met with repentance and a sincere turning towards Him. This perspective fundamentally differs from Hafez, who seemingly yearns for a world to be built anew; Rumi sees the imperfection in the beholder, not in the world itself. This initial experience of emptiness thus becomes a bridge to absolute divine forgiveness and self-sufficiency.

Key takeaways

• An invitation to an unsparing self-reflection on one's inner lack of talent and resources.
• This verse serves as a rhetorical question designed to awaken conscience and promote self-knowledge.
• Rumi's initial instillation of despair is not for blame, but a necessary prelude to hope and turning towards the Divine.
• The negation of worldly value for a human devoid of skill or noble attributes acts as a jolt to seek higher values.
• This very emptiness, and its acceptance, opens the path to unconditional and boundless divine grace.