M6:1090 — هست این نسبت به من مدح و ثنا / هست این نسبت به تو قدح و هجا

Translation: This attribution is praise and commendation for me (the humble speaker). But this very attribution is disparagement and satire for you (the one beyond all description). Meaning: One or two sentences in plain modern English — the gist for someone who can't read Persian. In this verse, Rumi conveys that any description or praise of a transcendent being, such as the Prophet or the Divine Essence, no matter how well-intentioned, ultimately falls short due to the limitations of human language and comprehension, thus becoming an indirect insult or satire.

It is rare in the Mathnawi for Mowlana to refer back to earlier parts or discourse from previous books. He is always in a state of becoming new, yet here is one of those few instances where Mowlana, in explaining his own words, refers to a story from Book Three: the tale of Moses and the Shepherd. This reference, without a doubt, signifies the fundamental importance of this idea for him.

Mowlana, speaking through the voice of Abu Bakr in praise of the Prophet (though it truly reflects his own spiritual state and commendation), reveals a profound mystical and philosophical truth: the transcendent essence is beyond all description. Any word a human being utters in praise or glorification of such a being, no matter how pure the intention or how lofty the attributes, is ultimately limited and incomplete. Such words, from the perspective of the humble speaker, may be considered praise and commendation, but in the face of the immeasurable grandeur of the described, they transform into disparagement and satire. This is because every description is a form of limitation and constraint, and the boundless essence cannot be contained within finite words.

The story of Moses and the Shepherd serves as a testament to this claim. The simple-hearted shepherd, with his childlike and unsophisticated language, praises God with attributes such as “searching for His lice” and “mending His shoes.” Moses deems these words blasphemous and insulting, reprimanding the shepherd. However, God Himself intervenes, declaring: “You came to unite, not to divide!” and accepts the shepherd's 'disparagement' as 'praise'. It is here that Mowlana utilizes this paradigm: in the sacred presence of the Prophet, our words of praise, stemming from the limitations of our understanding and expression, like the shepherd's 'disparagement,' must be received with mercy and magnanimity.

This perspective resonates with all schools of Negative Theology, which maintain that we can only state what God is not, rather than what God is. Any 'being' we attribute to God limits Him. But Mowlana goes further, asserting that even this 'disparagement,' if born of love and sincerity, can ultimately be transformed into 'praise' in His presence. This stems not from the object of praise, but from the worshipper himself, who does not see himself worthy of such praise.

Another interesting point is that immediately after this verse, Mowlana seems to emerge from beneath his cloak, and with a state of fresh inspirations and profound insights, turns to the 'lovers' and offers tidings of a 'new fortune' arriving from the 'ancient, yet ever-renewing world'. It is as if, in the very act of articulating this profound truth, he himself has reached a stage of revelation, perceiving this world — which to the non-mystic appears 'old' — as constantly 'new'. This sudden shift in tone and subject matter indicates that the articulation of this relationship between praise and disparagement has opened a new door for Mowlana, guiding him to a world of 'deliverance' and 'joy'.

Key takeaways

• The transcendent essence is beyond all description; any word of praise, however well-intentioned, ultimately falls short.
• The inherent limitations of human language transform all praise of divine grandeur into a form of 'disparagement.'
• The speaker's sincerity and pure intention can elevate even 'disparagement' to true praise in the Divine sight, as seen in the story of Moses and the Shepherd.
• Mowlana uses this verse to express both his humility before the Prophet and the boundless nature of the praised one.
• From the mystic's perspective, the world is ever-new and in flux, contrasting with the non-mystic's perception of it as old.