M6:1256 — گفت « هی هی » گفت « تن زن ای دژم / تا درین ویرانه خود فارغ کنم

Translation: The homeowner cried, "Hey! Hey!" The dervish retorted, "Be silent, grim one, so I may relieve myself in this ruin." Meaning: This verse recounts a dervish's decision to defecate in an utterly empty house, arguing that a place unfit for living is suitable for such a purpose, metaphorically questioning the value of a life devoid of inner substance.

This verse is embedded within the tale of a dervish who seeks sustenance at an utterly empty house. He asks the homeowner for bread, flour, fat, and water, only to find nothing, for the house is neither a bakery, a butcher, a mill, nor a stream. Finally, exasperated by the house's utter barrenness, the dervish decides to relieve himself inside. In response to the homeowner's cry of protest, he retorts, "Be silent, grim one! So I may relieve myself in this ruin." This means, "Hold your tongue, you gloomy face, and let me finish my business in this decrepit place." His reasoning is stark: "Since there is no way to live here, one must defecate here."

With this sharp and sardonic allegory, Mawlana intends to impart a profound lesson. This desolate house serves as a metaphor for the human heart and mind that has been emptied of every virtue, every piece of knowledge, every good intention, and every insight. If within the vessel of our soul there is neither wisdom nor good deeds, neither pure intentions nor clear vision, then what purpose does such an existence serve? Mawlana's poignant question here is: does such a being have any utility other than to become a refuse bin of history? Is there any other purpose conceivable for it besides becoming a site for the most base acts?

This inquiry is not meant to instill absolute despair, but rather to awaken our conscience. Mawlana intends to compel us to look within ourselves and be ashamed of this emptiness, to realize that if we do not adorn ourselves with knowledge and virtues, we will be nothing more than a ruin fit for "such deeds." This is a message for self-knowledge and a warning against the peril of "meaninglessness" that threatens every human being; a warning that if we do not heed its cost, nothing but an empty and dysfunctional shell will remain of us.

Key takeaways

• The verse serves as a biting allegory for self-knowledge: an existence devoid of virtue has no value beyond degradation.
• Inner emptiness reduces a human being to a state fit only for the most base actions.
• The metaphor of the 'ruined house' is a warning to awaken conscience and fill one's interior with knowledge and virtues.
• Mawlana's warning is not for despair, but to encourage internal evaluation and avoidance of meaninglessness.