M6:448 — جد و خویشانمان قدیمی چار طبع / ما به خویشی عاریت بستیم طمع

Translation: Our ancient kin and ancestors are the four temperaments (elements); / But we have greedily attached ourselves to borrowed kinship. Meaning: This verse reminds us of our ephemeral, elemental origins and criticizes our attachment to temporary, unfaithful worldly connections instead of recognizing our true, eternal kin.

This verse from the Masnavi, M6:448, emerges within the narrative of a cunning hunter disguised as a plant-eating ascetic, attempting to deceive birds. Mowlana skillfully uses the hunter's deceptive words as a springboard to impart profound lessons on the ephemeral nature of the world and the soul's connection to its origin. The hunter, with his populist arguments such as 'Since in the end I will remain alone / I should not get accustomed to every man and woman' and 'I will eventually turn towards the grave / It is better to get accustomed to the One [God] from now,' advocates for solitude to lure the unsuspecting birds. Yet, Mowlana leverages this discourse to draw our attention to the deeper truth of our existence.

The verse 'Our ancient kin and ancestors are the four temperaments (elements); / But we have greedily attached ourselves to borrowed kinship' is a fundamental reminder. Mowlana explicitly states, 'Our ancient ancestors and kin are the four elements, meaning these very water, earth, wind, and fire to which we will ultimately dissolve.' This is the reality every human confronts, sooner or later; our physical body originates from these elements and will return to them. This bond with the 'four temperaments' is ancient and unbreakable.

But where lies our folly? Mowlana immediately uncovers our ignorance and heedlessness with the phrase 'But we have greedily attached ourselves to borrowed kinship.' 'Borrowed kinship' refers to all the temporary and unfaithful attachments of this world—from wealth and status to friends and relationships that will ultimately leave us alone. To covet these borrowed kinships is a grave oversight of our true essence and origin.

As I have often emphasized, Mowlana never speaks of 'loneliness' (tanhāʾī) but rather of 'separation' (judāʾī). Separation from our primordial and eternal origin. This verse also points to such a separation. We are cut from our elemental 'origin' and will one day return to it, just as the soul is cut from the 'reed-bed' of intellects and souls, constantly receiving 'letters' saying, 'O faithless one! / You have found five-day companions / And turned away from your ancient friends.' These 'borrowed kinships' are precisely those 'five-day companions' who keep us preoccupied in this worldly game.

Mowlana's perspective is utterly distinct from existentialist philosophy that speaks of human 'loneliness.' In 'separation,' there is still a Beloved from whom we are distanced, and there is hope for return. In 'loneliness,' however, it is as if no origin or source ever existed, and humanity is abandoned in a void. Mowlana reminds us that we are 'guests' in this world, strangers in a temporary land. Our earthy body is like a garment we wear for the soul, which we will eventually shed, much like a playful child in the street whose clothes are stolen. We must find our true garment and return to our real home before night falls. This particular verse, in essence, calls us to recognize that 'real garment' and 'original home,' warning against coveting emptiness.

Key takeaways

• Our fundamental origin lies in the four elements of nature, to which we shall return.
• Worldly attachments and human relationships are merely 'borrowed kinship,' inherently transient.
• The core human error is to neglect one's true origin and to greedily cling to ephemeral things.
• This verse serves as a reminder of our 'separation' from our existential source, not 'loneliness' without origin.
• The world and its attachments are like a child's game, fleeting and perishable; one must return to the true home.