M6:1705 — رحم آمد بر وی آن استاد را / کرد در باقی فن و بیداد را

Translation: That master (tailor) took pity on him (the Turk), / But still applied his remaining skill and injustice. Meaning: Despite a fleeting moment of pity for the naive Turk, the cunning tailor continued to employ his deceptive skill and injustice to exploit him further.

This couplet from the Masnavi, nestled within the remarkable tale of the Turk and the Tailor, unveils a profound psychological and ontological truth. Here, Mawlana casts the cunning tailor as a symbol for the deceitful world, and the simple-hearted Turk as a representation of heedless, spellbound humanity. At this particular juncture in the story, after so much trickery and theft of fabric, the tailor—who, as I've said, embodies the world—experiences a momentary flicker of pity. Yet, this pity, however genuine, proves insufficient to halt his ingrained injustice.

As we know, we humans are repeatedly ensnared by the world's deceptions and amusements throughout our lives. This world, much like the deceptive tailor, captivates us with charming jokes and tales, plunging us into laughter and heedlessness. In Mawlana's narrative, the Turk's eyes close from excessive laughter, his intellect flees, and he becomes oblivious to his invaluable 'capital'—the precious fabric. For us, this capital is nothing but our precious life, youthful vigor, and irretrievable opportunities. Mawlana tells us that this 'common tailor,' this tailor of time and fate, constantly tears and mends the garments of 'centenarian raw children,' meaning he steals their capital, even if a fleeting compassion momentarily touches his heart.

This is where Mawlana reveals a significant theological point: the very 'skill and injustice' (fan o bīdad) deeply embedded in the tailor's being is stronger than any superficial, transient pity. This injustice, this inherent deception of the world, runs its course. The couplet reminds us that even pity, if it does not spring from an existential root and profound inner transformation, cannot alter the trajectory of deceit and oppression. The master tailor, imbued with this art of trickery, cannot but act in accordance with his nature. Even with a fleeting moment of compassion, he continues to apply the same 'skill and injustice' to the rest of his work. This is his character and nature, just as the wheel of fortune, with its 'jokes' (lāgh), 'takes away the honor of thousands like you' and steals from them. Though it may sometimes 'give to the gardens,' it 'blows away what was given when winter arrived.' This couplet culminates in a poignant reflection on the unavoidable nature of deception in a heedless world—a world that turns us into 'lost tales, effaced from existence' and tells us: 'There is no funnier tale than you / You yourself are the most laughable of tales.'

Key takeaways

• Mere pity, without a profound change in one's character, is insufficient to curb injustice and deceit.
• This couplet serves as a warning against human heedlessness and vulnerability to the deceptive tricks of the world.
• The concept of fan o bīdad (skill coupled with injustice) indicates that deception can be highly sophisticated and calculated.
• The 'capital' stolen from humans in this allegory represents their precious life and invaluable opportunities.
• The story of the Turk and the Tailor reminds us that the world, with its amusements and laughter, distracts us from our true essence.