M6:1272 — عشرها بر روی هر جا می‌نهاد / چونک بر می‌بست چادر می‌فتاد

Translation: She would place the ʿushrs (gold markers of every tenth verse) on every spot / But when she drew her veil, they would fall off. Meaning: The verse describes the futility of an old woman's attempt to adorn herself with gold leaf taken from a sacred text, which repeatedly falls from her face whenever she tries to cover it, exposing her vanity and desperation.

This verse recounts the cautionary tale of an old woman preparing for a wedding, whose aged and withered face drives her to desperate deceit. She initially attempts to adorn herself with cosmetics like gulgooneh (rouge) and other embellishments, but these tricks prove utterly ineffective against her wrinkles and the visible signs of time on her face. It is then that she succumbs to a grave error: she turns to a valuable, handwritten Qur'an, adorned with ʿushrs—the gold markers traditionally placed every ten verses in ancient Qur'ans. The old woman removes these tiny gold particles and gilded rings to attach them to her defiled face. In her vain delusion, she believes these gold pieces can conceal her wrinkles and transform her into a “gem among beauties.” This represents the ultimate descent into baṭar (intoxication with self) and vanity, where one desecrates the sanctity of God’s word for the superficial adornment of a fading visage. However, this false hope is repeatedly thwarted: “She would place the ʿushrs on every spot / But when she drew her veil, they would fall off.” She tries again and again, even resorting to her saliva (khiḍv) to stick the gold pieces to her face, but the outcome remains the same. As soon as she adjusts her veil (chādor), the ʿushrs fall to the ground. This is a symbolic narrative illustrating that internal and external blemishes cannot be concealed by superficial glitter; a decayed essence will inevitably reveal itself. The deeper insight, crucial to Rumi’s mysticism, comes in the continuation of the story. Frustrated by her failure, the old woman curses Satan. Yet, Satan suddenly appears and rebukes her in the harshest terms, conveying: “I myself am Satan, but I have never committed such a sin or folly; you have brought about a rare scandal that I never conceived.” This portrayal exposes the ultimate ignorance and spiritual blindness of humanity; a person trapped in self-conceit can surpass Satan in depravity, astonishing even him. Rumi, through this bitter irony, demonstrates how baṭar and vanity can corrupt sanctity and cast a human being into an abyss from which even Satan recoils.

Key takeaways

• Superficial adornment cannot conceal inner and outer decay.
• Humility in accepting one's reality is preferable to futile attempts at concealment.
• Instrumentalizing sacred objects for vain, worldly purposes marks the ultimate moral decline.
• A human absorbed in self-conceit can descend to depths of ignorance that even Satan finds shocking.
• Satan’s rebuke of the old woman underscores the profound immorality stemming from self-deception.