M6:3863 — نه ز مردان چاره دارم نه از زنان / چون کنم که نی ازینم نه از آن

Translation: I have no escape from men, nor from women; What can I do, for I am neither of these nor of those? Meaning: Spoken by a vulnerable young boy, this verse expresses his utter helplessness and confusion in a society where he finds no refuge from either men's desires or women's temptations, feeling he belongs to neither group.

This verse emerges from the lament of a vulnerable young man (an amrad) who complains about his suffering in both khanqahs (Sufi lodges) and the wider public marketplace. Here, in a rare departure from his usual focus on the 'human condition' and separation from the Divine, rather than historical or social specificities, Rumi unveils a dark corner of the moral corruption of his era, leveling a sharp critique at the prevailing culture.

The boy's story begins with an inquiry as to why he hasn't sought treatment for his ailment from a doctor or hospital. He replies that wherever he goes, he is afflicted with hardship and distress (''I am tested wherever I go''). He laments the men of society, particularly those whose lust has overwhelmed their intellect. As Rumi puts it, ''Where is reason at the time of anger and lust?'' — meaning that intellect loses its way and vanishes in the face of rampant desire. This is a profound psychological critique of human nature, suggesting that lust and anger can steal 'reason' and lead individuals to misconduct.

Conversely, the boy states that if he turns to women, he will also fall into temptation (fitna). He fears a fate like Joseph's, cast into prison, or even worse, being ''distributed among fifty gallows''—torn to pieces and hanged. He expresses that ''those women, out of ignorance, plot against me / And their guardians seek my life.'' At the peak of his helplessness and sorrow, he brings his words to a climax in this verse, stating, ''I have no escape from men, nor from women / What can I do, for I am neither of these nor of those?'' He sees himself in an ambiguous position; neither fully masculine enough to be safe from covetous eyes, nor a woman to seek distance from men under her own particular protection. He finds no refuge, and his 'safety' has been taken away.

This cry from the amrad, which speaks of a lack of both internal and external security and peace, is one of those rare instances where Rumi explicitly addresses social aberrations. He not only complains about the irrationality of the lustful but also implicitly delivers a serious critique of khanqahs, which ought to be places of safety and spiritual elevation, yet have become 'bachelor houses' that are themselves sources of temptation and harassment. This demonstrates that although Rumi often thinks beyond the specific details of his time, in certain specific moments, he echoes the cries of the oppressed and exposes corruption through the voices of his story's characters. This must be considered alongside the view that Rumi saw the world as a 'paradise' and rarely complained; yet here, through a character, he offers a critique of a 'corrupt culture of the era' that he himself tacitly endorses.

Key takeaways

• In this verse, Rumi explicitly critiques the moral corruption and social insecurity of his time.
• The verse highlights the vulnerability of individuals in a society where public morality has deteriorated.
• This narrative illustrates the subjugation of reason by lust and the dominance of primal instincts over intellect.
• Rumi implicitly alludes to the dysfunction and deviation of certain khanqahs from their original spiritual mission.
• This is one of the rare instances where Rumi explicitly addresses specific social and cultural abnormalities, articulating a profound complaint about the state of society through a character's voice.