M6:3245 — این سخن پایان ندارد آن غریب / بس گریست از درد خواجه شد کئیب

Translation: This tale has no end, that stranger (gharīb); He wept so much from pain, until his Master (khwāja) became grief-stricken (ka'īb). Meaning: The narrative of this stranger's pain, suffering, and alienation is endless; he wept so profusely from his agony that even his lord or master was overcome with sadness by his plight.

This beyt unveils a profound truth within the Masnavi: the reality of human alienation and wandering, and the path to liberation from it. In this section of the Masnavi (Book Six), Rumi narrates a symbolic story of the 'man named Omar in the city of Kashan.' Kashan, during that era, was predominantly a Shi'ite city, and the name 'Omar,' in that context, symbolized disagreement or even opposition to the prevailing sentiment.

The 'stranger' (gharīb) in the story, whose name was 'Omar,' would visit various bakeries. Despite having money and repeatedly asking, no one would sell him bread. He would be directed from one shop to another, hoping to find bread elsewhere, but ultimately, all the shops were united in their refusal. This 'stranger' is essentially someone who is 'squint-eyed' (ahwal), meaning he sees multiplicity where there is unity. He fails to understand that all the shops in a Shi'ite city are united in their implicit refusal to 'Omar.' This unity is one of inner conviction and belief, not the apparent multiplicity of the shops.

Our beyt states, 'This tale has no end, that stranger.' Which tale? The tale of this person's pain and alienation, his wandering and deprivation from sustenance. How long does this story continue? Until this stranger understands his 'squint-eyedness' and changes his 'name' from 'Omar' to 'Ali.' Here, 'Omar' and 'Ali' are not historical names, but rather epistemological symbols; 'Omar-named' symbolizes erroneous perception, division, and dissonance with the flow of life's meaning, while 'Ali-named' symbolizes unity-seeing, alignment with truth, and attaining union.

'He wept so much from pain, until his Master (khwāja) became grief-stricken (ka'īb).' This stranger weeps so profusely that even his 'Master' or owner becomes saddened by his state. The 'Master' here could symbolize God, the universal soul, or even the conscious and awakened part of one's own being. This interpretation indicates our existential connection to truth. The 'stranger's' suffering is not an isolated or inconsequential pain; rather, it is so deep and piercing that it affects the very essence of existence, making even the 'Master' (God, or the transcendent essence) aware and 'grief-stricken' by this pain. This itself is a sign that the stranger is not alone; in his alienation, there is a companion.

Soroush emphasizes that many people in this world are 'wandering' (sargardān). They go from one 'doctor' to another, from one temporary 'reward' to another. They take tranquilizers, practice yoga, and engage in a thousand distractions, but none of these remedies eradicate the root of their melancholy and wandering. Why? Because 'they have lost their home' (manzeleshon ro gom kardan). This wandering is the result of losing the true meaning of life and failing to reach the soul's true 'home.' They are 'squint-eyed' (ahwal), seeing the world as multiplicity and failing to grasp its inner unity. This concluding beyt of the 'Omar-named' story is not merely a historical anecdote, but a symbolic expression of the 'human condition,' which, until it opens the eye of unity and transcends its false 'name,' will find no end to its tale of pain and alienation, being perpetually 'referred' from one place to another.

Key takeaways

• Human alienation and wandering stem from failing to perceive unity within the world's multiplicity.
• The stranger's endless weeping signifies the profound deprivation and loss of true meaning in life.
• The 'name of Omar' in this parable symbolizes erroneous perception, division, and misalignment with truth.
• Inner transformation and changing one's 'name' from 'Omar' to 'Ali' (aligning with truth) is the path to liberation from deprivation and achieving union.
• The 'Master's' (transcendent essence) grief over the stranger's pain indicates deep existential empathy and interconnectedness.
• The phrase 'this tale has no end' refers to the unending nature of suffering and wandering until one achieves unity-perception and recognizes the soul's true 'home'.