M6:3000 — باز اشهب را چو باشد خوی موش / ننگ موشان باشد و عار وحوش

Translation: Should the noble white falcon acquire a mouse's disposition, / It becomes the shame of mice and the disgrace of wild beasts. Meaning: This verse warns that when a soul of inherently noble character descends to base, ignoble traits, it becomes more contemptible even than those creatures naturally considered lowly.

"Should the noble white falcon acquire a mouse's disposition, / It becomes the shame of mice and the disgrace of wild beasts." Here, Mowlana speaks in the clearest terms about the degradation of humanity's noble disposition. The bāz-i ashhab, the white falcon, is a symbol of inherent nobility, agility, and ascent; a bird that would perch on kings' arms and soar to the highest heavens. This falcon represents the high-ranking soul, the intrinsic dignity of the human being. But what happens if this very white falcon acquires the disposition of a mouse (khuy-i mūsh)? Mowlana describes the mouse's nature as: "Prey-seeking and treacherous, and darkness-loving / Intoxicated with cheese, pistachios, and date syrup." The mouse is a paltry creature, constantly chasing base sustenance, prone to treachery, shunning light, and becoming intoxicated with trivialities like cheese and pistachios. This symbolizes all the vices and ignobilities that drag the high-flying human spirit down to earth.

Mowlana's message is that if the dignified human soul, which has the potential to soar to spiritual heights, becomes polluted by these base and earthly characteristics, it reaches a point where it not only falls from grace itself but "becomes the shame of mice and the disgrace of wild beasts." This means that when a noble being loses its true nature and adopts base traits, it becomes even more contemptible and abhorrent than creatures that are inherently base, precisely because it has turned its back on its own inherent nobility and essence.

As I have observed previously, this verse appears in the context of comparing angelic (Gabriel-like) qualities, which make a human light-souled and soaring, with donkey-like qualities, which tether one to the manger. Mowlana intends to convey that human beings are free to change their disposition, and this change of disposition leads to distinct outcomes. This outcome, in the case of the mouse-dispositioned white falcon, is a fall beyond imagination. This warning is significant because it shows that falling from one's noble station entails consequences far more severe than if one had been humble from the outset. The Quranic narrative of Harut and Marut also points to this same meaning: angels who, upon descending to earth and adopting human dispositions, fell from their exalted status and were cast down into the well of Babylon. These Quranic and mythical examples all testify that deviation from one's essential nature brings eternal shame and disgrace.

Key takeaways

• Mowlana likens humanity's intrinsic nobility to the 'white falcon' (bāz-i ashhab).
• The 'mouse's disposition' (khuy-i mūsh) symbolizes moral vices, baseness, treachery, and attachment to trivial worldly matters.
• If a noble soul (the white falcon) adopts ignoble traits (a mouse's disposition), its fall is more catastrophic than that of creatures inherently base.
• Deviation from one's essential nature and spiritual dignity leads to a state of shame and disgrace, even in the eyes of the lowly.
• The verse underscores the critical importance of preserving one's inherent nobility and avoiding pettiness for any being with the potential for transcendence.