M4:56 — که زیان کردم عسس را از گریز / بیست چندان سیم و زر بر وی بریز

This couplet contains the lover's prayer immediately after finding his beloved in the garden. He had run from the night-watchman (ʿasas) in fear, seeing him as a threat. Now, he understands that the watchman was an unwitting instrument of divine providence. The chase, which seemed a terrible misfortune, was the direct cause of his finding this hidden treasure.

His prayer is a form of repentance and gratitude. He feels he “wronged” the watchman not by a direct act, but by misjudging his role and fleeing from what was, in reality, a blessing in disguise. He asks God to shower the watchman with wealth—twenty times what he might have extorted—transforming the potential loss into an immense gain. This act highlights a key theme in the Masnavi: apparent evils or hardships are often hidden mercies that guide the seeker toward their ultimate goal. The lover's prayer is a practical expression of the Qur'anic verse cited in the story's title: 'Perhaps you may hate a thing and it is good for you' (2:216).