M6:1824 — گفتییش ای غصهٔ منکر به حال / راتبهٔ انعامها را زان کمال

Translation: You said to it, 'O grief that denies (munke-e hāl) the present state (hāl)! Recall the regular stipends (rātebeh) of bounties (in'ām-hā) from that Perfection (kamāl)!' Meaning: Mowlana suggests that when sorrow overwhelms you and obscures your current blessings, you should actively remind this sorrow of the continuous flow of divine bounties (in'ām-hā) that emanate ceaselessly from God's ultimate perfection (kamāl).

In the face of overwhelming sorrow and melancholy, Mowlana, in this beyt, offers a precise and active remedy. He instructs us, as 'chost' or sagacious individuals—those who retain their awareness even amidst profound grief—to address the grief itself and remind it. This grief is described as ghosse-ye monker be hāl, meaning a grief that 'denies' or 'obscures' our present state. It veils our current circumstances, concealing the blessings we possess, and plunges us into a state of denial regarding reality. In such a condition, we not only forget past favors but also overlook what we currently hold, becoming absorbed in despair.

But what is the duty of the sagacious person in this state? We must tell this denying grief to 'recall the stipend of bounties from that Perfection.' The term rātebeh in classical Persian literature refers to a regular or continuous payment, akin to a pension or stipend. By employing this word, Mowlana emphasizes the stability and continuity of divine in'ām-hā (bounties or blessings). These are not sporadic or disconnected gifts, but rather steady, eternal streams that flow from the absolute kamāl (perfection) of Truth, meaning from the flawless and infinite essence of God. In other words, these blessings are perpetual manifestations of God's attributes of beauty and majesty that never cease.

Therefore, this beyt depicts a kind of spiritual struggle: a struggle between denying grief and grateful remembrance. Mowlana teaches us not to allow grief to drag us into the abyss of forgetting divine blessings and grace. Instead, with resolute determination, we must remind this grief that the ocean of divine favor never dries up, and His munificence is ever-present. This is an active and combative approach to despair—a form of 'practical gratitude' where, instead of surrendering to despondency, we actively recall the history of God's kindness and, in doing so, keep hope alive within our hearts.

Key takeaways

• Grief should not blind us to the continuous and perpetual flow of divine blessings.
• When facing sorrow, one must actively challenge it and compel it to recall divine favors.
• Divine blessings are like a perpetual stipend, flowing ceaselessly and uninterruptedly from God's infinite perfection.
• Sagacity (chostī) in the face of grief involves recalling the history of divine favor and steadfastly clinging to hope.