M1:2209 — آتش اندر زن بهر دو تا به کی / پر گره باشی ازین هر دو چو نی

Translation: Set fire to both (past and future), how long will you remain full of knots from these two, like a reed? Meaning: Mowlana here admonishes the listener (through the figure of the old harpist) to abandon preoccupation with both the past and the future, thereby liberating oneself from their entanglements and becoming, like a reed, capable of pure resonance.

This verse is a decisive and unvarnished pronouncement, embedded within the narrative of the Old Harpist, that reveals one of Mowlana's most profound teachings on time and living in the 'present moment' (ḥāl). Mowlana, addressing the harpist—and indeed, any seeker entangled by past and future—declares: "Set fire to both (past and future), how long will you remain full of knots from these two, like a reed?" The phrase "set fire to" (ātash andar zan) denotes an inner revolution and a resolute rejection; it is not merely letting go, but burning and eradicating both obstacles.

Prior to this verse, Mowlana speaks of a repentance that itself requires repentance: a repentance that is a return to the past, rather than a severance from it. "You, who seek repentance for the past state / When will you repent from this repentance? Tell me?" This question is the beating heart of this idea: for how long will you, through memories of the past or fears of the future, fail to see yourself as unbound?

The imagery of the 'reed' (ney) in this verse echoes the reed from the opening of the Mathnawi, but with a new layer of meaning. The reed, from the outset, symbolizes the seeker's existence awaiting the Divine Breath. But now, Mowlana points to the 'knots' (gereh) within this reed. The knots of the reed are those inner bonds and connections which, if they remain, prevent the free flow of breath and the emergence of pure melody. "As long as there are knots in the reed, it is not a confidant / It is not a companion to that breath and voice." These knots, in this context, are metaphors for the mental and emotional attachments to the past (regret, remorse, memories) and the future (false hopes, anxiety, excessive planning).

I have often emphasized in my commentary on the Mathnawi that Mowlana is not a poet enslaved by the past. Unlike Hafez, who constantly utters "yād bād" (remember, may it be remembered) and dwells on sweet and bitter yesteryears, or Saʿdi, who laments lost youth and future generations passing over his grave, Mowlana consistently emphasizes the present and the concept of Ibn al-Waqt ('child of the moment'). "A Sufi is the child of the moment, O friend / 'Tomorrow' is not part of the path's condition." He lived this principle himself; whenever he finds himself falling into the 'pit' of remembering Shams, he quickly pulls himself out, saying: "The sun by which this world was illuminated / If it shines a little more, it will burn everything / Seek not sedition, chaos, and bloodshed / Speak no more of Shams-e Tabrizi." This refusal to dwell on the past is not merely a literary device; it is a profound ontological and epistemological stance.

In my view, uttering "darīghā" (alas) is a form of theft from the present. Every "sigh and sorrow" over the past or "worry" about the future steals from us the present moment, which is our only true time of existence. Mowlana desires humanity to have an unknotted, fluid being, so that the breath of truth may flow uninterruptedly through it. This verse is a call to a liberated existence, uncommitted to what is lost or what has yet to come; a call to full presence in the breath and the moment.

Key takeaways

• Past and future are 'knots' that obstruct the flow of the Divine Breath within human existence.
• True repentance involves a complete severance from the past and an absolute focus on the present moment.
• Mowlana's call to 'set fire' to past and future signifies an inner revolution and a decisive rejection of these attachments.
• Unlike many poets, Mowlana places special emphasis on living in the present and being an 'Ibn al-Waqt' (child of the moment).
• The 'reed' imagery in this verse symbolizes the seeker's being, which must be freed from inner 'knots' to play the melody of truth.