M6:550 — آن زمان از ترس بستم من دهان / این زمان هیهای و فریاد و فغان

Translation: At that time, from fear, I sealed my mouth; / Now, it is clamor and cry and lamentation. Meaning: This verse refers to the inaction of a watchman who, out of fear, remained silent during a robbery and then, after the thieves had gone and the caravan's goods were lost, began to make a great fuss and lament.

This verse encapsulates a crucial lesson from Rumi's cautionary tale of the negligent watchman. The story unfolds with a watchman tasked to guard a caravan through the night. When thieves arrive, he, paralyzed by fear, seals his mouth and fails to alert anyone. The caravan's goods are plundered, and the thieves depart. In the morning, as the bewildered travelers discover their losses, the watchman, instead of showing remorse, begins to make a great clamor and beat his drum, feigning diligence. When questioned about his silence during the actual danger, he replies: "At that time, from fear, I sealed my mouth; / Now, it is clamor and cry and lamentation." Meaning, when the thieves were present and held a sword to my throat, I was silent out of fear. Now that the danger has passed, I can shout all you wish.

Maulana employs this anecdote to underscore a fundamental truth: What good is regret and lamentation after the event has occurred? As he states, "What use are sighs and laments after ruin? / Before that, this dark smoke should have risen." One should act before the grain turns into a snare; the "heat of avarice must turn to ice." This echoes the well-known Persian proverb, 'The remedy for disaster must be sought before its occurrence,' or the Arabic saying, 'Before the destruction of Basra and Mosul,' implying one must take precautions before it's too late.

I insist that this beyt not only highlights the importance of timely action but also the necessity of spiritual vigilance and awareness against the assault of the 'demon of greed and desire.' The watchman's fear-induced silence at the critical moment, followed by his futile cries, is an image of human heedlessness and procrastination in the face of spiritual and moral dangers. The watchman symbolizes the heedless human soul that, instead of resisting and crying out against the spiritual brigands of greed and lust, remains silent. Only after its existential treasures are plundered does it erupt in lamentation.

Yet, Maulana always leaves a window of hope open. He states: "Though this wailing now is tasteless, / heedlessness is certainly more tasteless than that." This means that even if this post-plunder lamentation might be 'tasteless' and ineffectual in recovering what's lost, 'heedlessness' and utter unawareness are far more 'tasteless' and damaging. Even a belated wail signifies a form of awakening, a sign that there is still a heart recognizing the loss. Thus, even in the most despairing circumstances, one should not lose hope in the divine presence, for God is "the All-Powerful" to whom "nothing is ever lost, whether we turn to Him in due time or out of time." This means that whether we approach His court on time or late, He is capable of looking upon us with favor and rectifying our deficiencies. This is a profound lesson: even in the most disheartening situations, the path of repentance and return is not entirely blocked, even if the golden moment for action has passed.

Key takeaways

• Effective action is crucial at the right time; belated regret is futile.
• Fear can lead to silence during critical moments, squandering the opportunity to act.
• Post-disaster clamor and outcry do not compensate for initial inaction and heedlessness.
• Even a belated lament (though 'tasteless') is preferable to complete unawareness and negligence.
• God, the Omnipotent, can accept both timely and untimely supplications from His servants; Divine grace transcends our temporal limitations.