M6:2036 — چون ببینی محرمی گو سر جان / گُل ببینی نعره زن چون بلبلان

Translation: When you find a mahram (confidant), speak the sar-i jān (secret of the soul); When you see a gol (rose/beauty), cry out like bolbolān (nightingales).

Meaning: This verse offers a crucial lesson on how to discern one's audience for spiritual truths: to a true confidant, disclose the innermost secrets of the soul, but in the presence of beauty or inspiration, respond with uninhibited, joyful exuberance.

Mowlana, that unparalleled sage, in this verse, instructs us on the crucial art of discernment in facing and expressing truths. This is, without doubt, one of his most pivotal teachings: how to guard the secrets while ensuring that the deserving ones benefit from their bounty.

First, he says: "When you find a mahram, speak the sar-i jān." Who is this mahram (confidant)? It is someone who possesses not just a listening ear, but an awakened heart and the capacity to grasp profound truths. This "speaking the sar-i jān" is not merely about uttering words. Mowlana has repeatedly explained that secrets are not like private family matters that can be simply transferred through speech. Rather, they are ineffable truths, the comprehension of which necessitates a "transformation" within the listener; one must acquire "another eye" to see them. That unity which resides beyond all multiplicity cannot be expressed in language; "its understanding is conditioned upon the death of the old self" (marg-i mard), implying a need for spiritual rebirth and an apprehension beyond discursive reason. Therefore, "speaking the sar-i jān" here is akin to the "imparting of a spiritual state" (ilqā-yi ḥāl); it is about lighting a lamp in the mahram's heart, enabling them to discover the path and unearth the hidden treasures for themselves.

Next, he advises: "When you see a gol, cry out like bolbolān." The gol (rose or flower) here symbolizes a manifestation of beauty, a lesser truth, or an inspiration that is more amenable to expression and more stirring. In the presence of such manifestations, one must not remain silent. Just as nightingales are moved to ecstasy by the sight of a rose and involuntarily cry out and sing, one should respond with fervent passion and unreserved praise and expression. This "crying out" (naʿra zadan) is a spontaneous and natural form of utterance, indicative of joy and connection, rather than complaint or lament. Mowlana himself states that he is not a "complainer" (shāki) but a "narrator" (raviyatgar); thus, this joyous outcry is a form of passionate narration that sets the soul dancing.

However, the profound significance of this verse is illuminated by its contrast with the subsequent verse, which Mowlana immediately presents: "But when you encounter a wineskin full of deceit and pretense (mushk-i pur-makr u majāz), seal your lips and become a jar (khumb sāz)." Here, Mowlana's teaching becomes complete. He instructs us that in the face of those who are "full of deceit and pretense" – those whose hearts are brimming with falsehood, cunning, hypocrisy, and discord, those who are "enemies of water" (dushman-i āb) and not thirsty for truth but for their own status – one must remain silent. Engaging in debate or revealing secrets to such ignorant individuals is akin to casting pearls before swine. This is the essence of taqiyya (prudent dissimulation), a practice observed even by prophets; it is about protecting truth from those who lack the capacity to comprehend it and might distort or deny it. Language itself has limitations; in the "arena of discourse" (maydān-i maqāl), only "duality" (davī) emerges, and "unity" (vaḥdat) is fractured into multiplicity. Thus, one must know to whom to speak, what to say, and when to seal one's lips and remain silent like a jar.

Key takeaways

• Profound truths, the "secret of the soul," should only be shared with a "mahram" (confidant) who possesses true understanding; their transmission requires an inner transformation in the listener.
• When encountering beauty or spiritual inspirations (the "rose"), one should express feelings with uninhibited passion, like the "cry of nightingales."
• This verse serves as a guideline for discerning one's audience and practicing spiritual taqiyya (prudent dissimulation), avoiding the disclosure of secrets to the unworthy.
• Speaking the "secret of the soul" is not merely verbal communication but the imparting of a spiritual state that opens the inner eye to the truths of unity.
• Silence in the face of the deceitful and "enemies of truth" is a rational and spiritual necessity to preserve the essence of truth.
• Mowlana emphasizes that the limitations of language (maqāl) do not allow for the direct expression of unity, thus requiring allusive speech or silence.