M1:198 — شاه دید او را بسی تعظیم کرد / مخزن زر را بدو تسلیم کرد

Translation: The king greatly honored him, And to him entrusted his treasury of gold. Meaning: The king, as part of a strategic deception to cure the ailing slave-girl, treated the goldsmith with immense reverence and offered him lavish wealth.

This verse narrates the pivotal moment of the goldsmith's arrival at the king's court—a moment seemingly of ultimate honor and success for him, yet covertly, the beginning of his descent into an inevitable fate. We must understand that this 'honor' (taʿẓīm) and the 'entrustment of the treasury of gold' (taslīm-i makhzan-i zar) are not borne of genuine reverence, but are integral parts of an intelligent and intricate plan orchestrated by the divine physician to cure the slave-girl. The king, in this instance, is merely the executor of this plan, tasked with entrapping the goldsmith with the bait of status and wealth.

I have called this the "kiss of death." It carries the outward appearance of affection and respect, but conceals an inner reality of mortality and non-being. The unfortunate goldsmith, who was to be "deceived with gold and robes" (bā zar-o khilʿat bedeh ū rā ghurūr), according to Rumi, "mistook his blood-money for a robe of honor" (khūn-bahā-yi khwīsh rā khilʿat shinākht). He considered this lavish respect and wealth a gift of generosity, oblivious that this "blood-stained gold" was the price of his life. He was walking directly towards "ill fate" (sūʾ-ul-qaẓā), his mind clouded by the illusion of kingship, glory, and mastery.

This scene, in essence, embodies one of Rumi's most crucial teachings in the Mathnawi: "One thing gives rise to another in the world" (kār az kār khīzad dar jahān). The king's love for the slave-girl led him to the divine physician; the physician, to treat her, summoned the goldsmith; and this summons, facilitated by financial deception, ultimately led the goldsmith to his demise. Each event paves the way for the next, and often, the ultimate objective lies far beyond the apparent goal. That honor and wealth were merely instruments in the hands of destiny.

The lesson Rumi draws from this story transcends the specific details of the event and speaks to the nature of worldly affections. Later in this very narrative, he states unequivocally: "Loves that arise from mere superficiality (rang) / Are not love; they lead to disgrace in the end." This 'superficiality' (rang) could be beauty, wealth, or the very "kingship, glory, and mastery" in the goldsmith's imagination. When the king honors the goldsmith and entrusts him with the treasury, he is in fact resorting to the rang that had captivated the slave-girl's heart (and the goldsmith's own). But these loves born of superficiality are ephemeral and "dead," ultimately yielding nothing but ignominy and failure. This scene, outwardly one of royalty and inwardly one of war, illustrates this fundamental truth: anything built on the finite is itself destined for finitude and a bitter end.

Key takeaways

• The king's honor and gifts to the goldsmith were not genuine, but a strategic deception to further the physician's plan.
• This event exemplifies Rumi's principle that 'one thing gives rise to another' (kār az kār khīzad dar jahān), where each incident sets the stage for the next.
• Unaware of his 'ill fate' (sūʾ-ul-qaẓā), the goldsmith perceived the wealth and honor as a 'blood-money' for his doom, rather than genuine gifts.
• Loves founded on superficialities and 'colors' (beauty, wealth, status) are ephemeral, ultimately leading to disgrace and 'shame' (nang).