M6:1100 — می‌دمد در گوش هر غمگین بشیر / خیز ای مدبر ره اقبال گیر

Translation: The harbinger of good tidings whispers in the ear of every sorrowful one: "Arise, O you who have turned away, seize the path of divine favor!"

Meaning: This couplet describes a subtle, divine voice, an inner inspiration that secretly addresses the melancholic, urging them to abandon their current state of gloom, rise above their spiritual slumber, and embrace a new path teeming with spiritual fortune and grace.

This couplet vividly paints a picture of divine mercy and glad tidings. The bashīr here is not merely a messenger of news; it is a voice from the unseen world, sometimes internal, sometimes voiced by a lover like Mawlana, whispering gently into the ear of "every sorrowful one" (har ghamgīn). This whisper is not a loud, public declaration, but a secret and private one, much like Mawlana himself, who, at times, would "lower his cloak and speak to himself." This harbinger declares that from an "old world that becomes new" (jahān-e kohneh nowgar), a "new fortune" (iqbāl-i jadīd) has arrived. This speaks to the flowing essence of existence, which is constantly renewing and creating, an eternal flux that the mystic perceives, never finding it old.

Addressed as "O you who turn away" (Ey mudabbir), this phrase is deeply meaningful. A mudabbir is one who manages affairs, but here it can imply someone who has, in a sense, "turned their back" on their true fortune, or become engrossed in the "filth and lice" (gand o shepesh) of worldly concerns. The bashīr urges them to rise from this "imprisonment" (ḥabs) and embrace the path of "fortune" (iqbāl). This iqbāl is not mere luck, but an inner beatitude and a divine grace that always awaits the yearning, though the sorrowful remain oblivious. It is a clear call to awakening and transformation.

Crucially, the bashīr delivers this message "softly" (āhesteh): "Beware, lest anyone hear, you are freed in silence!" This implies that the invitation is deeply personal and internal; one should not await the approval or acceptance of others. This message must be heard in one's own solitude and acted upon. Mawlana himself, in this very moment, embodies the role of this harbinger, speaking of his own joyous states and fresh inspirations, sharing this "new fortune" and the renewal of the seemingly old world. He no longer dwells on the past or its decay; he is, in the present, at the peak of "renewal."

However, Mawlana, in subsequent verses, offers a warning: though this call begins as a gentle whisper, if ignored, it can grow into a loud, thundering sound, to the point where "from the root of every hair, a drummer arises." Yet, alas, if the heart's ear becomes deaf, even the sound of these drums will not reach the "envious foe." "He caresses with sweet basil, yet the blind asks: 'What is this injury?'" This signifies that even when divine mercy manifests gently, blind hearts perceive it as a calamity. Thus, this couplet is an invitation to attentiveness and to heed the initial whispers of the bashīr before the heart's channels close entirely, leaving no path for hearing the ever-present call of divine iqbāl.

Key takeaways

• The harbinger's call is an internal, hidden voice that reaches the soul in solitude.
• The sorrowful are imprisoned by their unawareness of inner fortune and spiritual grace.
• The 'one who turns away' (mudabbir) is someone who has neglected divine favor, engrossed in worldly management.
• This couplet is an invitation to rise from self-imposed lethargy and constraints, embracing the path of spiritual fortune.
• A new and perpetual fortune comes to us from the ever-renewing world.
• Heeding this soft whisper is essential for spiritual awakening; ignoring it leads to deafness of the inner ear.