M1:185 — مرد زرگر را بخوان زان شهر دور / با زر و خلعت بده او را غرور

Translation: Call the goldsmith from that distant city; Deceive him with gold and robes. Meaning: The king and the sage physician, seeking to cure the ailing maid, dispatch envoys to lure the goldsmith to the court with promises of wealth and status, intending to eliminate him to resolve the maid's illness.

Here, Mowlana, with profound subtlety, unveils the hidden psychological currents and deep intentions within a seemingly simple narrative. The king and the sage physician (hakim), in their quest to cure the ailing maid, devise a plan that necessitates the deception of the goldsmith. It is in this beyt that Mowlana starkly states: "Call the goldsmith from that distant city; Deceive him with gold and robes."

The word ghurur (غرور) here is critically important. We must note that in contemporary Persian, maghrur typically signifies "proud" or "honored." However, in Arabic and Mowlana's usage, ghurur dādan means "to deceive" or "to trick," and gharreh shodan means "to be deceived." This is a crucial correction for correctly interpreting the beyt's meaning. The king and the physician's aim is to lure the goldsmith with promises of gold, robes, and status, not to honor him. This is precisely the "kiss of death" motif, as seen in Christian literature with Judas's kiss of Jesus: a seemingly friendly and inviting gesture concealing a deadly and fatal intent.

Mowlana, through this story, emphasizes a fundamental principle of the world: kār az kār khīzad dar jahān (one deed springs from another). This means that every action carries hidden consequences and intentions, veiled from plain sight. The unfortunate goldsmith, driven by greed for wealth and status, abandons his city, wife, and children, happily journeying towards what he believes to be honor, oblivious that the king intends to take his life. The gold and robes given to him are, in appearance, gifts, but in reality, they are his khun-bahā (blood money)—the price for his imminent death. He "mounted a swift horse and galloped joyfully / and deemed his blood-price a robe of honor." He was unaware that this gold was blood-stained.

This narrative exposes the allure of superficial appearances. The goldsmith, in his delusion, envisions "kingship, honor, and high status," but Mowlana, with irony and mockery, conveys through the Angel of Death, Azrael: "Azrael said, 'Go on, yes, you'll get them!'" This sūʾ al-qazā (ill fate), which the goldsmith willingly walks into, is a pivotal point in the Masnavi's structure. As a prominent scholar has shown, Mowlana establishes deep connections between the beginning and end of the first Daftar, and the word sūʾ al-qazā in this beyt is linked to the mention of Imam Ali at the end of the first Daftar. This demonstrates that no word in the Masnavi is accidental or without deliberate purpose. He goes "of his own accord towards ill fate."

Ultimately, this story leads to Mowlana's famous conclusion that "loves based on outward appearances / are not love; in the end, they bring disgrace." Superficial affections, founded on wealth, beauty, or position, inevitably lead to scandal and cooling of passion. The goldsmith exemplifies one who was deceived by "appearance" (rang) and sacrificed his life for it. Mowlana uses this tale to illustrate how the world, with its deceptive promises, lures humanity towards perdition.

Key takeaways

• The term ghurur (غرور) signifies 'deception' or 'trickery' here, not 'pride'; this is a critical linguistic correction for Mowlana's meaning.
• The allure of appearances: false promises of wealth and status become the instrument of the goldsmith's demise.
• "One deed springs from another": Every action holds hidden intentions and unforeseen consequences, concealed from outward perception.
• The gold and robes, seemingly gifts, are in reality the goldsmith's khun-bahā (blood money)—the price of his impending death.
• This story exemplifies "loves based on outward appearances," which ultimately lead to "disgrace" and scandal.