M6:2289 — من ز دیگی لقمه‌ای نندوختم / کف سیه کردم دهان را سوختم

Translation: From no pot did I gather a morsel; I only blackened my hand and burned my mouth. Meaning: This verse expresses deep regret and remorse over futile endeavors that yielded no benefit, but only brought suffering and loss of reputation.

This verse, without a doubt, is one of those Masnavi couplets that resonated deeply within me from the very outset of my acquaintance with this boundless ocean of wisdom. In my youth, I was immersed in reading Sheikh Bahai’s Kashkul, a comprehensive book that held every art and science like a precious gem. Through it, I encountered passages from the Masnavi that settled in the fertile soil of my soul like seeds. This beyt was among the first.

I have always considered this verse to be an equivalent, a parallel, to Sa’di’s beautiful expression: “The wolf whose mouth is bloody, but who has not devoured Joseph.” It speaks of a wolf whose mouth is stained with blood, yet who, in truth, has not torn Joseph apart; a symbol of infamy and scandal without the actual commission of a crime or the attainment of a goal. Here, Rumi conveys this very meaning through the voice of the treasure-seeking dervish, whose story is recounted in the Masnavi. This dervish, after much supplication and a dream guiding him to treasure, hastily and without sufficient reflection, misinterprets the treasure map’s instructions and begins shooting arrows. For years, he shoots relentlessly, but finds no treasure. These fruitless efforts not only fail to lead him to his goal but also expose him to public ridicule, bring him before the ruler, and make him an object of scorn.

The dervish's regret and remorse stem from the fact that he has “gathered no morsel from any pot” of his efforts, meaning he gained nothing and failed to find the treasure. Instead, he “blackened his hand”—an idiom for hands stained from fruitless toil, and ultimately, for infamy and loss of honor—and “burned his mouth,” meaning he endured suffering and agony. He realizes that his haste and his failure to return to the original source (God, who was the initial inspiration) led him to this pathetic state. Rumi, earlier in this story, alludes to the importance of patience and deliberation, citing God’s creation of the world in six days as a lesson for humanity to avoid impetuosity. This dervish, in essence, had forgotten the lesson of patience and returning to the origin.

This verse offers a clear illustration of the outcome of efforts pursued with haste and without proper guidance. The dervish sees that he has both suffered and lost his reputation, without coming even a fraction closer to his objective. It is an admission of the futility of a path traversed and a mistake in choosing the way or method, whose ultimate end, it seems, is nothing but remorse and disgrace. It is a profound lesson for all seekers and aspirants of any treasure, be it material or spiritual: one must ask the guide for the path and, at every knot, return to them, to be spared from fruitless toil and lost honor.

Key takeaways

• Futile efforts yield no benefit and lead only to suffering and disgrace.
• Haste and failure to consult the true source of guidance (God) lead to despair and ignominy.
• The lesson of 'patience and deliberation' from creation itself is crucial to avoid profound regrets in life.
• This verse critiques superficial and unrooted approaches to pursuing grand objectives.