M6:4030 — گر ستودی اعتناق او بدی / ور نکوهیدی فراق او بدی

Translation: If you praised something, it was his embrace (eʿtenāq). And if you blamed something, it was his separation (ferāq). Meaning: This verse describes the state of a lover like Zulaikha, where everything good is associated with the beloved's presence and embrace, and everything unpleasant with their absence and separation, as if the entire world is divided into these two poles.

Undoubtedly, in this verse and the ones preceding and following it, Mevlana presents a complete and unparalleled portrayal of a state of absolute love, where the beloved becomes the axis and pivot of the lover's entire being and perception. It is here that language departs from its ordinary function, and every word, whether in praise or blame, transforms into a sign and an allusion to the beloved.

I have previously noted that for a lover like Zulaikha, Yusuf was not merely a name; rather, he was an existence that enveloped the entire world and made everything subject to his presence or absence. This verse explicitly articulates this fundamental transformation in gaze and language: beauty, goodness, warmth, light, or any perfection in the world no longer hold independent meaning. All these are manifestations of "his embrace" (eʿtenāq) – the beloved's presence and intimacy. And, similarly, any ugliness, discomfort, coldness, or flaw in the world is nothing but a reflection of "his separation" (ferāq) – the beloved's distance and absence.

This is not merely wordplay; it points to a profound psychological and ontological reality within the realm of love. For Zulaikha, the world was no longer structured upon conventional dualities of good and evil or beauty and ugliness; instead, it found its meaning in the presence and absence of Yusuf. This is the absolute manifestation of love, which empties ordinary words of their conventional meanings and transforms them into carriers of the beloved's message of love. "This is what the name of the friend does in love." The name of the beloved acquires such power and influence that when she felt cold, merely uttering Yusuf's name acted as a fur coat, warming her. This is the astonishing power of love, capable of redefining the world and subjugating language to its will; so much so that everything emanating from the lover's tongue ultimately reiterates these two primary poles: union with or separation from the beloved.

Key takeaways

• In absolute love, the beloved becomes the central axis of the lover's perception and language.
• Every praise of existence harks back to the beloved's presence, and every blame to their absence.
• Love transforms the meaning of ordinary words, making them convey the message of union or separation.
• This transformation is not mere wordplay but a fundamental shift in the reality experienced by the lover.