M6:3897 — ما سپاه خویش را هی هی کنان / که به پیش آیید قاهر چون سنان

Translation: We would urge our army with cries of 'Hey! Hey!' / That 'Advance, mighty like a spearhead!' Meaning: This verse, spoken by the eldest prince, recounts his past prowess in motivating his soldiers to fearless advance, sharply contrasting it with his current state of helplessness and inability to apply his own wisdom.

This verse emerges from the tale of the three princes, a narrative that Rumi employs to illuminate the essential role of action alongside knowledge. The princes, now caught in a whirlpool of melancholy and amorous passion, find themselves helpless and bewildered. They lament their current predicament, wondering why they, who once dispensed wisdom to others, now find themselves devoid of its practical application in their own suffering.

I interpret this as a profound critique, one that Rumi, echoing the Quranic censure of those who "say what they do not do," directs at scholars without deeds and preachers who fail to heed their own counsel. The eldest prince recollects: "Were we not 'male' in counseling others?" He implies that they were once strong and authoritative in advising, just as the masculine signifies power and might. They would tell others: "Complain less of hardship / Be patient, for patience is the key to relief." They held patience as the key to liberation. Yet, today, they are helpless, and the prince questions: "What has become of this key of patience? / Alas, has the law been abrogated? What has transpired?" The word 'qanun' (law, principle) is notably rare in classical Persian poetry, and Rumi's use of it here underscores the universal and foundational nature of this divine principle.

Did we not instruct our troops to "smile like gold in the fire" of conflict? Did we not tell them not to blanch or harbor fear? And it is here that we arrive at the verse in question: "We would urge our army with cries of 'Hey! Hey!' / That 'Advance, mighty like a spearhead!'" It was we who, with heroic shouts, drove our soldiers forward, telling them to charge with the might and dominance of a spearhead, without fear of death or bloodshed. We taught the entire world the lesson of patience, yet today we ourselves are bereft of it.

I must emphasize that, in Rumi's view, "patience" (ṣabr) is not merely a passive retreat. Ṣabr is steadfastness, resilience, perseverance in pursuit of one's goal, even when the path is fraught with pain and weariness. It is like the gardener who plants a seed, knowing that the tree will not bear fruit overnight. Ṣabr is actively remaining in the field, resisting difficulties, and refusing to surrender. What stands out in this story is the chasm between word and deed, between theory and practice, between the knowledge we impart to others and the truth we neglect in our own adversities. This is the teaching Rumi fervently upholds, a truth beautifully articulated by Sa'di: "Knowledge is humanity, chivalry, and good manners / Otherwise, you are a beast in human form."

Key takeaways

• The gap between word and deed is the greatest affliction for a moral teacher; whatever you preach, you must first live by it.
• Patience (ṣabr) and steadfastness, in Rumi's view, are not passive waiting, but active resistance, perseverance toward a goal, and enduring hardships along the way.
• When a person is engulfed in adversity, the true value and truth of their teachings are revealed; are these teachings keys to relief, or merely words on the tongue?
• The 'law-like' nature of ethical principles signifies their universal and timeless validity; they are never 'abrogated' except in the minds and actions of the weak-willed.
• True courage lies not only on the battlefield but in upholding one's principles against internal and external adversities.