M6:2082 — چون تو خفاشان بسی بینند خواب / کاین جهان ماند یتیم از آفتاب

Translation: Many bats like you dream / That this world remains orphaned by the sun. Meaning: Mowlana speaks of those who, like bats, wish for a world devoid of the sun's light – a world orphaned by divine truth – unaware that such a desire ultimately harms only themselves.

Decisively, Mowlana in this beyt points to an ancient and perennial affliction of history: the yearning for darkness in the world. These "bats" of whom Mowlana speaks are none other than those who have closed their eyes to the sun of truth and strive to deprive others of its light as well. The sun, in our mystical literature, symbolizes absolute truth, divine light, the Presence of the Real, and spirituality. Here, Mowlana perceives the sun not merely as a source of illumination, but as the nurturer and father of existence. The expression "orphaned by the sun" is an extraordinary and profoundly meaningful one; it implies that the sun possesses a fatherly, nurturing role. A world deprived of the sun would not only be plunged into darkness but would also become barren and sterile; nothing would grow or blossom within it. This world, devoid of spirituality, would resemble an orphan child, deprived of the warmth of a father's embrace and upbringing. These bats are those who long for an absolutely secular world, turned away from God, atheistic, and devoid of spirituality. They dream of a day when the presence and remembrance of God are banished from the world. But can the sun of truth be extinguished by their mere puffing? Mowlana himself clarifies this point elsewhere in the Mathnawi: "Most deprived of all was the bat / Who was an enemy to the manifest sun / The little bat is not an enemy of the sun / He is an enemy of himself, dwelling in a veil." In reality, they are not enemies of the sun; they are enemies of themselves, for they turn their backs on the light and keep themselves veiled in darkness. This beyt follows verses that speak of futile attempts to extinguish the candle of truth: "If you puff at God's candle, oh hag / You will burn, and your ugly snout with you." Or, "Whoever puffs at God's candle / The candle does not die; his snout burns." These all emphasize that divine truth, like the sun and a candle, remains steadfast, and these desperate attempts only harm the one who makes them. Mowlana, in these verses, expresses his firm stance against those who wish to deny spirituality and truth. He does not see this world as devoid of meaning and never entertains the existential anxiety of a godless world. For Mowlana, God is "every day in a new splendor" (Qur'an 55:29) and is never absent or weary. Distance from Him is our distance, not His absence. Therefore, the wish for darkness is not a wish for the destruction of the sun, but rather a wish for the destruction of one's own sight. These individuals, in their dreams, see the world orphaned by the sun, but the sun continues to shine, and only their own eyes are closed to it. This beyt serves as a warning to all ages and generations not to fall into the trap of these bats and close their eyes to the light of truth.

Key takeaways

• The "bats" symbolize those who yearn for a world devoid of spirituality and plunged into darkness.
• The 'sun' here is a metaphor for divine truth and the nurturing force of existence.
• The phrase 'orphaned by the sun' highlights the vital, fatherly role of spirituality in the world.
• Attempts to extinguish the light of truth ultimately harm only the one making the effort.
• Mowlana articulates this verse in defense of the perennial and indestructible presence of divine truth.