M6:3309 — ای عجب کو لعل شکربار تو / وان جوابات خوش و اسرار تو

Translation: Oh wonder, where is your sugar-raining ruby (sweet lips)? And those pleasant answers and your secrets? Meaning: This verse, spoken by a character in a story, expresses a deep longing for the sweet, insightful words, comforting answers, and hidden wisdom of an absent beloved or guide.

This verse is not a direct utterance from Mowlana, but rather the lament of a 'borrower' (وامدار) character within a story he recounts. With a mix of sorrow and wonder, this character asks where his beloved's 'sugar-raining ruby' (lāl-e shekarbār) and 'pleasant answers and secrets' have gone. The 'sugar-raining ruby' is a poignant metaphor for the sweet, comforting, and healing words that once flowed from the absent one's lips. The 'pleasant answers' and 'secrets' convey a deep yearning for clear guidance and the unveiling of hidden truths; the character seeks solace and a path forward.

I want to emphasize that this verse, along with those that follow, serves as a crucial opportunity for Mowlana to transform a superficial search into a profound inward quest. In subsequent verses, this same 'borrower' character repeatedly utters 'koo koo' (where, where), seeking the lost beloved. Mowlana, however, imbues this dove-like 'koo koo' with profound depth, redirecting its focus. He suggests that if one truly grasps the essence of this 'where,' one will realize that the ultimate source of everything sought lies beyond transient, particular manifestations. If you desire mercy, if you long for power, if you seek insight and sagacity, you must look to their root. That 'where' (koo) to which you point, Mowlana teaches, is precisely 'where the attributes of mercy reside / power, purity, and sagacity reside.' This move guides the search from a specific, embodied form to the formless, to the very roots of divine perfections.

This method of Mowlana mirrors his earlier counsel regarding the soul: 'The soul, being from my Lord's command, is hidden / Any example I might give for it is invalid.' The soul is from the realm of command (ʿālam-e amr) and defies material analogy. Thus, the pleasant words and deep secrets are mere reflections of that formless reality, metaphorically described as the 'sugar-raining ruby.' The 'borrower' seeks the outer appearance and manifestation, but Mowlana intends to guide the reader towards the inner essence and inexhaustible source of those manifestations. This longing for the lost one, in itself, becomes a ladder for ascending from the sensible to the intelligible, from the particular to the universal; from separation from a specific companion, to the quest for union with the absolute, merciful essence.

Key takeaways

• This verse represents the voice of a 'borrower' character within a story, expressing a yearning for the words and secrets of an absent guide.
• The 'sugar-raining ruby' and 'pleasant answers' are metaphors for delightful and insightful mystical discourse.
• The question 'where?' (koo?), seemingly pointing to a person, is transformed by Mowlana into a deeper quest for divine attributes.
• The borrower's tangible desire (sweet words) serves as a starting point for guiding towards the formless truth and the divine root of such perfections.
• This verse illustrates how Mowlana transforms a specific human lament into a more universal understanding of separation and union.