M1:1555 — هر غلام و هر کنیزک را ز جود / گفت بهر تو چه آرم گوی زود

This couplet establishes the character of the merchant at the start of the famous story of the Parrot and the Merchant. Before setting out for India, he demonstrates his magnanimity (jūd) by offering to bring back a personal gift for every member of his household, from the male servants (ghulām) to the female servants (kanīzak).

Rumi uses this simple, scene-setting moment to introduce a key theme: the nature of desire and the gifts appropriate to one's station. The servants will ask for material goods, which is fitting for them. This will stand in stark contrast to the parrot's request, which is not for an object but for a message—a gift of the spirit, seeking a path to freedom.

The merchant's generosity is genuine, but it operates within the conventional world of commerce and possessions. His question, "What shall I bring for you?", frames the world in terms of things that can be bought and carried. The story's spiritual lesson will emerge when the parrot requests something that transcends this material framework entirely.