M6:313 — ساعتی در وی نظر کرد از عناد / آنگهان با هر دو دستش ده بداد

Translation: For a moment, he (the slave) looked at her (the bride) with spite; / Then, with both his hands, he gave her "ten" (a gesture of utter rejection). Meaning: This verse humorously depicts the tricked slave's spiteful reaction to his real bride; his prior bitter experience has so disillusioned him that he rejects even the true beauty presented before him.

This verse marks the climax of an allegorical tale in the Masnavi, a story of a deceived slave. On his wedding night, the slave, anticipating intimacy with a woman, instead encounters an amrad (beardless youth dressed as a woman). This traumatic experience fills him with deep spite and enmity. To rectify the situation, his master and mistress then arrange a real wedding with a genuine bride. This verse describes the slave's reaction to this actual bride: "For a moment, he looked at her with spite; / Then, with both his hands, he gave her 'ten'." The idiom of "giving ten," as was common in Rumi's time and is repeated elsewhere in the Masnavi, refers to showing ten fingers as a gesture of utter rejection and disgust, often accompanied by harsh expressions like "shame on you."

The poor slave, having suffered immensely and believing that all women would be like that amrad, rejects even the pure truth presented to him. He turns away from it. Rumi presents this story not merely for entertainment but as a profound allegory for humanity's experience with the world (dunyā). The world, Rumi tells us, is like an "old hag" (ganda pīr) who adorns herself as a "young bride" (now ʿarūs) to deceive us. We, too, like the slave, are captivated by the world's outward appearances (naʿīm-e īn jahān) from a distance, before any real "test" (emteḥān). Pleasures, positions, and wealth are enticing from afar, but once we "go near" and taste their reality, we become disgusted. "All the blessings of this world are so delightful from afar, before the test / It appears as water from a distance, but when you go near, it is a mirage." This is ghurūr in Rumi's sense – being deceived or fooled, not the modern Persian meaning of arrogance. Everyone, Rumi insists, is susceptible to this ghurūr, unless divine grace protects them.

In this narrative, the slave embodies any human who has once been deceived by the world's appearances and falsely linked with its ugly interior. Consequently, even when pure truth and beauty are offered to him, out of intense suspicion and the bitterness of past experiences, he rejects it and responds with enmity. Here, "spite" (ʿenād) stems from prior pain and deception; it is not inherent malice but rather a deep-seated trauma and pessimism that veils his insight. This verse serves as a warning to contemplate the distinction between truth and illusion, and the necessity of patience and perseverance in discerning the true essence of things, lest one fall victim to the world's deceptive exteriors and, due to bitter experiences, turn away even from one's own truth. From this story, Rumi advises patience and abstinence from worldly ambitions, as power and wealth, like the amrad, have a deceptive appearance that ultimately leads to suffering and regret.

Key takeaways

• The world's appearances are often deceptive, and its true nature is only revealed after experience and trial.
• Bitter past experiences can foster deep suspicion and pessimism, leading one to reject even pure truth.
• The "spite" (ʿenād) described here stems from prior suffering and deception, rather than inherent malice, demanding self-reflection.
• The Masnavi warns that humans are susceptible to ghurūr (being deceived), unless divine grace protects them.
• Rumi uses this story as an allegory for the transience of worldly status and pleasures, which appear as water from afar but are mirages up close.
• Patience and perseverance in discerning the inner reality of things are key to avoiding worldly deceptions and their consequent bitterness.