M1:141 — آرزو می‌خواه، لیک اندازه خواه / برنتابد کوه را یک برگ کاه

Translation: Desire, yet desire with measure and grace Even a mountain cannot bear a single blade of straw's weight.

Meaning: Mowlana advises us that while longing for union and the unveiling of truth is inherent, an unbridled desire can be destructive. He suggests seeking with moderation, as our finite capacity cannot withstand the unmediated intensity of absolute truth.

This verse arises from Mowlana's dialogue with his own soul, which insists on the unveiled revelation of the Beloved's secret. The restless, passionate soul yearns to behold the Beloved naked and unadorned, declaring, "Between us and You, only a shirt shall remain." This yearning, as Saʿdi also expresses in his love ghazals, is a desire to cast aside all veils for complete union. Indeed, Mowlana himself, on his deathbed, when visited by Sadruddin Qunawi, referred to this very 'shirt,' saying, "Between me and the Beloved, only a shirt remains," implying that death would remove this final veil, bringing about ultimate union.

However, in response to his soul's insistence, Mowlana sagely cautions that such a desire must be measured. He tells the soul: "If He were to reveal Himself openly, / Neither you, nor your side, nor your middle would remain." If that absolute truth were to manifest directly and unveiled, neither your essence nor your very being would survive. Our existence, our delimited being, is contingent upon these very veils and screens. It is no coincidence that Khayyam, with his unique wisdom, articulated this: "The secrets of eternity, neither you nor I know, / And this intricate script, neither you nor I can read. / There is a discourse between you and me, behind the curtain; / When the curtain falls, neither you nor I shall remain." Our very persistence depends on these veils; their removal signifies utter annihilation.

Mowlana illustrates this with a potent metaphor: "Even a mountain cannot bear the weight of a single blade of straw." Our existential capacity, however grand it may appear, is but a blade of straw before the mountain of that Truth. How could it possibly endure such immensity? He further clarifies this meaning with another example: "The sun from which this world ignited / If it shone but a little more intensely, would burn the whole to naught." This very sun, which gives life to the cosmos, if it were to shine just a fraction more brightly, would incinerate and destroy the entire world. Thus, the manifestation of truth occurs in proportion to our capacity and from "behind the veil," a veil that is not merely an obstruction but a guardian and guarantor of our survival.

Finally, Mowlana concludes the discussion by alluding to Shams Tabrizi, who symbolized that direct and powerful manifestation: "Seek not strife, tumult, and bloodshed; / Speak no more of Shams-e Tabrizi than this." This is not only a reference to the fervor and commotion Shams stirred in Konya—Sultan Walad described him as having "a nature prone to bloodshed"—but also a warning that insisting on direct, unmediated revelation can lead to profound internal and external strife. Therefore, it is best to relinquish such excessive demands and submit to divine providence, which speaks to us from behind the veil through "narratives" (hikayat). The Masnavi itself is this 'narrative'—the manifestation of Mowlana's spirit, who, with a joyful countenance and without complaint of separation, recounts his experiences through stories so that both his and our present state may be revealed.

Key takeaways

• The pursuit of truth must be proportionate to the seeker's existential capacity; our endurance is limited.
• If absolute truth were to manifest unveiled, our finite and conditioned existence could not withstand it and would perish.
• Just as the sun burns if it shines too intensely, so too is truth destructive if it appears unmediated.
• Veils and curtains are not merely obstructions but protectors and guarantors of our survival in the face of truth.
• Mowlana, even on his deathbed, spoke of the 'shirt' or veil between him and the Beloved, which is only removed with complete annihilation.
• The warning 'speak no more of Shams-e Tabrizi' alludes to the strife caused by unmediated manifestation and the necessity of prudence and self-restraint.