M6:1289 — می‌شود مبدل بسوز مریمی / شاخ لب خشکی به نخلی خرمی

Translation: A dry, parched branch, by the Maryam-like ardor, / transforms into a flourishing, verdant palm. Meaning: This verse conveys a profound message of hope: even a spiritually barren or despairing soul, when infused with genuine yearning and the transformative grace akin to Maryam's experience, can be miraculously revived and made fruitful.

We have previously discussed the charlatans and false claimants of gnosis, those who engage in 'stealing knowledge' (ʿashr dozdi) and adorn themselves with outward appearances to deceive people. Rumi warns these individuals that these 'borrowed trappings' (bar-bastahā) will fall away with the advent of death, and in the 'world of silence' (ʿālam-i khāmūshi), nothing remains but what has become 'part of our soul.' He laments, 'Woe to him who has no intimacy within!' In contrast to this warning, Rumi points to the path of salvation: 'Polish your breast for a day or two; make that mirror your book.' We must turn inward and purify ourselves.

Within this context, Rumi delivers a message of profound hope, and this beyt is a prime example. He offers three consecutive images of transformation and renewed life, each more powerful than the last, emphasizing the possibility of change. First, the story of the aged Zulaikha who, 'by the shadow of Yusuf, the lord of good fortune, was made young again from head to toe.' Rumi suggests that if you polish your heart and seek inner purity, a Yusuf will appear who will turn your old age into youth and your blindness into sight. Second, the analogy of the summer sun: 'The cold disposition of winter's end / transforms into the summer sun.' The summer sun (tamūz) arrives and melts the cold of winter; winter does not last forever and can lead to spring and summer. Woe to those who die in winter, but blessed are those who overcome this winter with hope and enter spring.

The third and most prominent image is in our beyt: 'A dry, parched branch, by the Maryam-like ardor, / transforms into a flourishing, verdant palm.' Rumi here refers to the story of Maryam (Mary) in Surah Maryam (Quran 19:25). When Maryam experienced the pains of childbirth and retreated to a secluded place, where there was no water, food, or verdant tree, she was addressed: 'Shake towards yourself the trunk of the palm tree; fresh, ripe dates will fall upon you.' Rumi uses this miraculous event as a metaphor for inner transformation.

The 'Maryam-like ardor' (sūz-i Maryami) here is interpreted as the spiritual labor pains; that burning passion and fervor that a seeker feels for a new birth, for a deep transformation within oneself. Even if a human soul seems dry and barren ('a dry, parched branch'), if this sūz, this authentic pain of yearning, this heartfelt quest, is awakened within them, divine mercy will take their hand and transform them into a lush and fruitful palm. This is a definitive and reassuring message: neither outward capability nor past weaknesses are important. What matters is that inner 'sūz,' that 'labor pain' which indicates readiness for rebirth.

Further on, Rumi presents a key teaching: 'Old woman, why do you strive against divine decree (qazā)? / Seek the present now, let go of what is past (mā mazā).' This is a foundational principle of Sufism: one must let go of the past and not contend with 'qazā' (what has already occurred and cannot be changed). Instead, one must focus on 'the present cash' (naqd-i aknūn), on the present moment and our ability to transform within this moment. This beyt doubly emphasizes that this extraordinary transformation is possible in the present, relying on 'sūz' and the sincerity of the moment, and that a dry and barren past is no reason for despair about the future. God is always present; it is we who must turn to Him with a 'Maryam-like ardor.'

Key takeaways

• Inner transformation is possible through 'Maryam-like ardor' (genuine spiritual yearning), even if one's current state is dry and barren.
• Divine grace can bring flourishing and fruitfulness to what seems dry and dead; this offers perpetual hope for the seeker.
• One must let go of the past and focus on the 'cash of the present'; contending with past fate is futile.
• This verse critiques superficial pretenders and calls for authenticity and inner sincerity; only what becomes 'part of the soul' endures.
• Through the story of Maryam, Rumi illustrates how unseen help arrives for those who experience spiritual labor pains.