M6:2706 — نوبهار حسن گل ده خار را / زینت طاووس ده این مار را

Translation: O Springtime of beauty, bestow roses upon this thorn! / Grant the splendor of the peacock to this snake! Meaning: This verse is a fervent plea by Mawlana for divine grace and beauty to transform the unsightly and base into objects of utmost perfection and splendor.

This verse, unequivocally, functions as a profound prayer and an ardent longing for divine alchemy—a supplication for the 'Springtime of Beauty,' which is none other than God's universal grace, to rain down upon all that appears to us as thorn and snake, transforming them into rose and peacock. Here, Mawlana explicitly articulates a desire for the transmutation of the base into the sublime, which precisely encapsulates the essence of his worldview and understanding of divine action.

I have often explained that Mawlana does not perceive the world as inherently crooked; rather, if we see crookedness, the flaw lies in our own perception. This verse is not a complaint about the current state of affairs but an aspiration for a fuller manifestation of God's all-encompassing benevolence. This 'universal grace' is like the sun, which shines upon everything without discrimination or prior assessment of worthiness. It radiates upon the pure and the impure, upon the rose and upon filth, seeking no 'warrant' for its illumination. This is a fundamental principle in Mawlana's ontology.

Mawlana wonderfully elucidates this process: when the sun shines upon 'ḥadath' (impurities or filth), it is not itself defiled. Instead, it dries the impurity, which then becomes fuel. This dried 'ḥadath,' when placed in a bathhouse furnace, provides light and warmth. Here, we witness the 'defilement' being transmuted into 'adornment.' The sun, as it were, whispers an 'enchantment' into the ear of this 'ḥadath,' utterly transforming it. This is a grand divine factory that turns poison into nectar, purifies the impure, and obliterates 'siyyāt' (sins), replacing them with 'ḥasanāt' (virtues). As he states, 'Thus does God blot out evils.'

Yet, the process does not end there. The very heat of the sun also warms the 'stomach of the earth' to digest other impurities, from which plants eventually sprout. From that very dung and filth, narcissus and jasmine blossom. This is precisely what this verse asks for: that the 'Springtime of Beauty' (divine grace) itself, through its universal benevolence, transforms these thorns and snakes into roses and peacocks. This implies that no being, even in its lowest form, is outside the sphere of this universal grace and possesses the potential for transformation toward beauty and perfection.

This insight differs profoundly from the perspective of those who only see the dichotomy of good and evil, or ugliness and beauty. Mawlana believes in a continuous process of transformation and elevation that is at work every moment. This is the very essence of God's continuous engagement, as in 'kullu yawmin huwa fī sha'n' (He is in a state of affairs every day). The prayer in this verse is a desire for the acceleration and more overt manifestation of this divine alchemy, so that even the most base elements of our being, or in the world, may reach the pinnacle of beauty and value. It is, therefore, a profoundly hopeful outlook on the possibility of salvation and perfection, even for those who consider themselves a 'mountain snake' and 'ugly and repulsive.'

Key takeaways

• Divine universal grace ('Springtime of Beauty') shines unconditionally upon all things.
• The nature of everything, even the lowest, is capable of transformation into beauty and perfection through divine grace.
• Mawlana believes in 'divine alchemy' that transmutes sins into virtues and impurity into purity.
• The prayer in this verse is an aspiration for the active manifestation of this divine transformative power in the world.