M1:355 — گفتْ گفتِ تو چو در نان سوزنست / از دل من تا دل تو روزنست

Translation: He said: "Your speech is like a sūzan (needle) in bread; / From my heart to your heart, there is a rōzan (window)." Meaning: This verse conveys the king's profound distrust of the cunning minister, implying that the minister's deceptive words lack sincerity, and the king can directly perceive the true intentions hidden in his heart.

The king's definitive retort to the cunning minister in this verse possesses exemplary depth. He tells the minister: "Your speech is like a needle in bread." This is an exceptionally eloquent and cutting metaphor. When you offer someone a morsel of bread, you anticipate friendship and goodwill, not the concealment of a thorn that will tear their palate and mouth. Such words, without a doubt, lack the scent of sincerity; instead, they scratch the listener's soul and evoke a sense of insincerity. This is no longer friendship; it is hidden, poisoned enmity. Mawlana himself, elsewhere in the Masnavi, uses a similar expression, speaking of "epilepsy seeds in bread" (tukhm-i șarʿ dar nān). He refers to the rust that affects wheat or rye, the consumption of which was believed in ancient times to induce epileptic conditions. Hypocrites, Mawlana states, are those whose "outward words are Tawhid and Shari'a," but "their inward reality is like epilepsy seeds in bread." This means their discourse appears righteous and religious on the surface, yet it is inwardly like poisoned bread, corrupting the soul and spirit. This verse precisely points to the deceptiveness and inherent harm in the words of deceivers and insincere individuals; speech whose appearance is alluring but whose essence is damaging. As for the second half of the verse: "From my heart to your heart, there is a window (rōzan)." This phrase reveals the pinnacle of the king's insight and sagacity. He is not merely deceived by the minister's words; he possesses an insight that transcends the surface of language. It is as if a window has opened between his heart and the minister's, allowing him to perceive the truth directly and fathom the depth of the minister's hidden intentions. This "window" is that very inner perception and intuition which, beyond words and dissimulation (taqīya), reveals an individual's true intention. The king tells the minister, you cannot deceive me with this poisoned discourse and dissimulate, because I see your heart, and what is hidden within it is manifest to me. This is precisely the point that is also heavily emphasized in mysticism: truth resides not in the word or the outward, but in the heart, and those of the heart find one another through the heart, and secrets are unveiled to them.

Key takeaways

• Insincere words, however appealing, are ultimately harmful.
• Inner sagacity and insight can neutralize deception and dissimulation.
• Mawlana compares deceptive speech to poisoned bread concealing a thorn.
• The 'window of the heart' symbolizes the ability to directly perceive truth, beyond appearance and words.
• Truth resides not in speech, but in the heart and intention of the speaker.