M6:2014 — چونک اخوان را دل کینه‌ورست / یوسفم را قعر چه اولی‌ترست

Translation: Since the brothers' hearts are filled with envy, for my Joseph, the bottom of the well is more fitting. Meaning: Mowlana laments that due to the malice and envy of those around him, it is preferable for his spiritual beloved or inspiration, personified as Joseph, to remain hidden and protected in the depths of a well rather than face their ill will.

This couplet reveals a specific yet universal moment in Mowlana's life: when the enlightened mystic finds himself surrounded by the envy and ill-will of 'brothers' or 'gul-pārehās' (earthly individuals, as Mowlana elsewhere calls them). I am utterly convinced that Mowlana here speaks of his own pain, stemming from the jealousy of those who envied the station and proximity of Hossamoddin or Shams to him. They could not tolerate the radiant beauty of that 'Joseph.' Mowlana laments these 'envious brothers,' who, outwardly, are companions and kin, but whose hearts are inwardly filled with malice. In such circumstances, he sees no recourse but to keep his 'Joseph'—that pure truth, that spiritual beauty, that divine love, or that sacred inspiration received from the Beloved's presence—in the 'bottom of the well.' This well is not one of perdition but of preservation; it's a well that shields Joseph from evil eyes and the sting of malevolent envy. This represents a strategic retreat, a temporary sanctuary for truth to remain safe from the short-sighted.

I contend that this 'bottom of the well' symbolizes silence or concealment, a concealment born of protection, not fear. As I have stated before, Mowlana sometimes prefers to remain 'silent' (khāmosh), not out of an inability to speak, but to safeguard the subtlety of truths and to keep the audience secure. This couplet is of the same ilk: hiding Joseph means hiding the light of divine authority and love, protecting it from the envious. This is precisely where Mowlana perceives that 'these clay-clods have conspired to cover your sun'; these earthly beings cannot bear the brilliance of the sun of Hossamoddin's or Shams's existence and wish to obscure it with mud.

However, this passive stance, this temporary retreat, cannot endure within Mowlana. This envy and malice of the 'brothers' does not lead to complete silence in him; rather, it culminates in a mighty outburst. Mowlana, a moment after this couplet, in the very lecture I referenced, cries out anew: 'I have become drunk, I will raise a clamor myself / What 'what-what'? I will pitch my tent in the desert.' This demonstrates that Mowlana cannot keep the secret of love in the well forever. The Joseph of his love is so beautiful and radiant that neither the well's depths can forever conceal it, nor can the brothers' malice prevent its effervescence. 'Place the fiery wine in my hand, then behold the triumphant swagger of my drunkenness.' This fiery wine is the inspiration and love that renders him fearless of any social considerations or 'winds of arrogance' (bād-e seblat, referring to outward reputation), compelling him to unveil his secret and shout his ecstatic cry. Thus, the 'bottom of the well' is a brief stage of protection, before the flood of love and inspiration breaks through the dams and delivers the Joseph of his being to the Egypt of consciousness and the desert of cries.

Key takeaways

• Mowlana, in this couplet, laments the envy of 'brothers' (malevolent associates) who obstruct the radiance of his 'Joseph' (symbolizing his beloved or spiritual inspiration).
• The 'bottom of the well' here symbolizes temporary concealment and protection of spiritual truth and beauty from the harm of ill-wishers.
• This concealment is not born of weakness, but to shield the delicate truths from narrow-minded understanding.
• Moments after this couplet, Mowlana abandons this retreat, erupting into ecstatic defiance and cries, as love and inspiration cannot be suppressed.
• The effervescence of the 'wine of love' renders Mowlana fearless of social considerations and 'reputation' (bād-e seblat), compelling him to reveal his secret.