M6:1714 — لاغ او گر باغها را داد داد / چون دی آمد داده را بر باد داد

Translation: Its jest, if it gave bounty to gardens, when winter arrived, it cast to the wind all that was given. Meaning: This couplet refers to the impermanence and deceptive nature of the world; Time, through its fleeting jokes and transient gifts, beguiles humanity, ultimately taking back all that it seemingly bestows.

This profound couplet, embedded within the story of the Turk and the Tailor, is undoubtedly Mawlana's address to us, humanity, who have become 'fattened by diversion and jest.' The world, this 'general tailor,' this cunning craftsman, plays games with us. Not only does he stitch garments for us, but in the course of his sewing, he surreptitiously steals precious pieces of our fabric of existence. Just like the captivating tailor in the narrative who, with his witty jokes and delightful tales, would make the Turk's narrow eyes shut in laughter, seizing the opportunity to pilfer his valuable satin. This is a vivid analogy for our own condition: we too, amidst the clamor of entertainment and the 'jokes and tricks of the firmament,' remain heedless of our true capital – our life's span and the opportunity for conscious living – squandering it away.

Here, Mawlana admonishes us about the 'playfulness' of the 'sphere' and 'nature.' He states: Its jest, if it gave bounty to gardens, when winter arrived, it cast to the wind all that was given. Indeed, in its games, Time sometimes brings a delightful spring, turning gardens green and red, bestowing abundant blessings. But this is merely one phase of the game; behind every spring, an autumn stands ready to obliterate all that was given. These four seasons of nature are themselves a manifestation of the world's theatrics. Joy and sorrow, lushness and dryness, all are of the kind of deceptive jests that come and go, with no permanence.

Mawlana's phrase 'aged children' (pir-i teflān) is particularly thought-provoking here; it refers to those who, despite having lived many years and being physically old, are still like naive, inexperienced children. They continue to 'beg' for another joke from the world, simply to smile or feel a fleeting sadness. This heedlessness ultimately leads to humanity's empty-handed departure from life. One leaves history and the age, but alas, Mawlana implores, 'let it not be' empty-handed. Mawlana seeks to convey that we should not be deceived by appearances, for Time, with all its jokes and sweetness, only stitches and tears the fabric of life, leaving nothing behind.

Key takeaways

• The world, like a cunning tailor, lures humans into heedlessness with false promises and deceptive jests.
• The true capital of life and spirit is easily squandered amidst the world's amusements and distractions.
• The playfulness of nature and its four seasons serve as a metaphor for the impermanence of worldly pleasures and bounties.
• A heedless person, even in old age, remains like a naive child who learns no lesson from the repeated deceptions of Time.
• Whatever is gained from the world is ultimately cast to the winds of annihilation; thus, attachment to it is an error.