batch.motif.sufi-rumi-mesnevi-book-1-redhouse-gutenberg-l12254-l12366
---
record_id: batch.motif.sufi-rumi-mesnevi-book-1-redhouse-gutenberg-l12254-l12366
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/sufi/project-gutenberg/mesnevi-book-1-redhouse.md
passage_locator:
label: PREFACE. / IN THE NAME OF GOD, / THE ALL-MERCIFUL, THE VERY-COMPASSIONATE.
/ VIII.; lines 12254-12366
start: '12254'
end: '12366'
translation: The Mesnevi
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: ''
summary: A didactic transition urges annihilation of the dark self, abandonment
of “I” and “We,” and enrollment of existence in God’s essence. A fable then recounts
a lion hunting with a wolf and fox. They catch a mountain-ox, an ibex, and a hare.
The lion detects the wolf’s and fox’s desire for shares, asks the wolf to divide
the spoil, and kills the wolf after he assigns separate portions. The passage
closes by interpreting the wolf’s death as failure to efface selfhood before sovereign/divine
presence, citing holy writ that all perishes except divine counsel.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: The speaker says the finite one who can soar to the Infinite welcomes sharp
thorns as roseleaves and should annihilate the dark self.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: The speaker compares existence enrolled in God’s essence to copper changed
to gold in an alchemist’s bath.
category: object
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:3
text: The speaker instructs the hearer to quit “I” and “We,” describing egotism
as estrangement from God that clogs the soul.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:4
text: A lion, wolf, and fox go hunting together among hills and hope mutual aid
will help them catch game.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:5
text: The lion is said to feel ashamed of the company but behaves politely; the
text compares him to a king with troops and the sun among stars.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:6
text: The company enters the woods and catches a mountain-ox, an ibex, and a hare.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:7
text: The prey is carried from the hills into the plain, and the wolf and fox desire
to see the prey divided justly.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:8
text: The lion notices the wolf’s and fox’s cupidity and secret confidence, while
outwardly remaining silent.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:9
text: The lion inwardly says the companions should seek his pleasure, not calculate
what he may bestow, and he resolves that their arrogance must be punished.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:10
text: The lion tells the wolf to divide the spoil and act as his factor.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:11
text: The wolf assigns the mountain-ox to the lion, the ibex to himself, and the
hare to the fox.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:12
text: The lion rebukes the wolf for speaking of “thou” and “I” in the lion’s presence
and tears him to pieces.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: obs:13
text: The lion says the wolf should have vanquished himself in the lion’s presence
and that death by the lion’s paw was due because the sight of the lion did not
chase away thought of self.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: obs:14
text: The closing moral cites holy writ that all perishes except divine counsel
and says one who prates of “me” and “thee” in God’s court will be cut off.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: finite aspirant / hearer
description: The addressed finite person urged to soar to the Infinite, annihilate
the dark self, and quit “I” and “We.”
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: God / the Infinite / Deity
description: Named as the Infinite, the Lord of heaven, the Deity, God’s essence,
Providence, and the one in whose court self-assertion is condemned.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:6
- ev:10
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: lion
description: A noble hunting companion and sovereign figure who detects the wolf’s
and fox’s desires, orders division of the prey, and kills the wolf.
role_refs:
- role:3
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:5
- ev:6
- ev:7
- ev:8
- ev:9
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: wolf
description: A hunting companion who desires a share, divides the spoil into three
portions, assigns one to himself, and is killed by the lion.
role_refs:
- role:5
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:5
- ev:7
- ev:8
- ev:9
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: fox
description: A hunting companion who desires a share and is assigned the hare by
the wolf.
role_refs:
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:5
- ev:7
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: mountain-ox
description: One of the animals captured in the hunt and assigned by the wolf to
the lion.
role_refs:
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:7
- id: fig:7
name_or_label: ibex
description: One of the animals captured in the hunt and assigned by the wolf to
himself.
role_refs:
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:7
- id: fig:8
name_or_label: hare
description: One of the animals captured in the hunt and assigned by the wolf to
the fox.
role_refs:
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:7
- id: fig:9
name_or_label: Ahmed
description: Named in a cited command, “With them consult,” as an illustrative reference
in the narrator’s commentary.
role_refs:
- role:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
roles:
- id: role:1
label: self-effacing aspirant
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: The addressed person is instructed to annihilate the self, have existence
enrolled in God’s essence, and quit “I” and “We.”
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:2
label: divine absolute and court of judgment
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: The passage names God/the Infinite as the end of self-annihilation and later
speaks of God’s court where “me” and “thee” are cut off.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:10
- id: role:3
label: sovereign hunter
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: The lion leads the company, is compared to king and sun, commands the division,
and expects the companions to await his will.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:6
- ev:7
- id: role:4
label: punishing judge
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: The lion recognizes cupidity and self-assertion, resolves punishment, and
kills the wolf.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- ev:8
- ev:9
- id: role:5
label: subordinate hunting companion
assigned_to:
- fig:4
- fig:5
basis: The wolf and fox hunt with the lion, carry prey, and desire shares.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:5
- id: role:6
label: failed divider of spoils
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: The lion appoints the wolf to divide the spoil, and the wolf assigns separate
portions to lion, wolf, and fox.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: role:7
label: captured prey
assigned_to:
- fig:6
- fig:7
- fig:8
basis: The mountain-ox, ibex, and hare are caught by the hunting company and become
the spoil to be divided.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:7
- id: role:8
label: recipient of command to consult
assigned_to:
- fig:9
basis: 'The commentary cites a command to Ahmed: “With them consult.”'
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: thorns and roseleaf
literal_form: Sharpest thorns welcomed as a soft roseleaf
associated_figures:
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: sym:2
label: alchemical transformation
literal_form: Copper in an alchemist’s bath turned to gold
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: sym:3
label: self-pronouns
literal_form: "“I,” “We,” “thou,” “me,” and “thee” as spoken markers of separative
selfhood"
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:4
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:8
- ev:10
- id: sym:4
label: lion’s sovereign presence
literal_form: Lion whose presence should erase the wolf’s thought of self
associated_figures:
- fig:3
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- ev:9
- id: sym:5
label: threefold spoil
literal_form: Mountain-ox, ibex, and hare divided as spoil
associated_figures:
- fig:6
- fig:7
- fig:8
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:5
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:7
- id: sym:6
label: artist and picture
literal_form: Pictures unable to guide the artist’s hand
associated_figures:
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: sym:7
label: riches as smiles and trap
literal_form: Riches of the world as smiles of Providence that make men proud and
lead them to fate
associated_figures:
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Instruction in self-annihilation
summary: The speaker teaches that the aspirant should annihilate the dark self,
let existence be enrolled in God’s essence, and abandon “I” and “We.”
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: The hunt in company
summary: A lion, wolf, and fox hunt together among hills and woods, catch three
animals, and bring the prey into the plain.
figure_refs:
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:5
- fig:6
- fig:7
- fig:8
symbol_refs:
- sym:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: scene:3
label: The lion detects cupidity
summary: The wolf and fox desire a just share; the lion perceives their secret longing
and resolves that their calculations about his bounty are arrogant.
figure_refs:
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:5
symbol_refs:
- sym:4
- sym:6
- sym:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: scene:4
label: The wolf divides the spoil and is killed
summary: The lion commands the wolf to divide the prey; the wolf assigns separate
shares, and the lion kills him for speaking of separate “thou” and “I” in the
lion’s presence.
figure_refs:
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:5
- fig:6
- fig:7
- fig:8
symbol_refs:
- sym:3
- sym:4
- sym:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
- ev:9
- id: scene:5
label: Scriptural moral on perishing and divine counsel
summary: 'The narrator interprets the event through holy writ: whoever is not of
divine counsel perishes, while one who loses life for God’s sake is excepted;
self-assertion in God’s court leads to being cut off.'
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: annihilation of self in divine essence
taxonomy_refs:
- annihilation_union
basis: The passage explicitly urges annihilating the self, enrolling existence in
God’s essence, quitting “I” and “We,” and vanquishing self in the sovereign presence.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:9
- ev:10
confidence: high
cautions: The passage uses Sufi didactic language and fable; the extraction does
not infer doctrinal details beyond the supplied lines.
- id: motif:2
label: sovereign test through division of spoils
taxonomy_refs:
- wisdom
basis: The lion tests the wolf by asking him to divide the prey; the wolf’s literal-minded
apportionment reveals self-assertion and lack of sense, leading to punishment.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
- ev:9
confidence: medium
cautions: "“Wisdom” is a broad taxonomy reference; the passage presents a moral
fable but does not name a formal motif type."
- id: motif:3
label: divine or sovereign punishment for egotistic separation
taxonomy_refs:
- divine_judgment
basis: The lion’s punishment is explained through language of God’s court, holy
writ, and the cutting off of those who speak of “me” and “thee.”
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- ev:9
- ev:10
confidence: medium
cautions: The judge in the fable is a lion; the divine-judgment reading is supported
by the narrator’s explicit theological moral, but remains analogical.
- id: motif:4
label: didactic animal fable as spiritual instruction
taxonomy_refs:
- wisdom
basis: Animal figures enact a moral lesson about selfhood, sovereignty, and divine
counsel, with the narrator drawing explicit instruction from the episode.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:7
- ev:8
- ev:10
confidence: high
cautions: No external fable type or comparative animal-tale index is supplied, so
the label remains general.
comparison_claims:
- id: claim:1
claim: The animal fable is explicitly made to function like a spiritual teaching
on annihilation of self before divine sovereignty.
claim_level: same_function
target: annihilation_union motif family
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:9
- ev:10
counter_evidence_refs: []
confidence: high
limitations: This is a functional comparison to a supplied motif family, not a claim
about historical transmission.
- id: claim:2
claim: The narrator’s use of cited holy writ and commands associates the fable’s
moral with Islamic scriptural didactic discourse within the passage itself.
claim_level: same_function
target: scriptural moral commentary surrounding the fable
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:6
- ev:10
counter_evidence_refs: []
confidence: medium
limitations: The source lines provide citations but not full bibliographic identification
of the quoted scriptural passages.
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 12254-12265
quote_or_summary: The speaker contrasts thorns with roseleaf softness for the one
who soars to the Infinite, urges annihilating the dark self, compares transformation
to copper becoming gold, and commands quitting “I” and “We.”
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/sufi/project-gutenberg/mesnevi-book-1-redhouse.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized from supplied passage.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: lines 12268-12273
quote_or_summary: A lion, wolf, and fox go hunting together among hills, hoping
that mutual aid will help them take game.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/sufi/project-gutenberg/mesnevi-book-1-redhouse.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized from supplied passage.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: lines 12274-12289
quote_or_summary: The lion is ashamed but polite; commentary compares him to a king
and the sun, cites a command to Ahmed to consult companions, and compares spirit
and flesh traveling together.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/sufi/project-gutenberg/mesnevi-book-1-redhouse.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized from supplied passage.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: lines 12290-12297
quote_or_summary: The company goes into the woods as the lion’s followers and catches
a mountain-ox, an ibex, and a hare.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/sufi/project-gutenberg/mesnevi-book-1-redhouse.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized from supplied passage.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: lines 12298-12313
quote_or_summary: The prey is brought from the hills to the plain; the wolf and
fox desire a just division, and the lion perceives their cupidity and secret thoughts.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/sufi/project-gutenberg/mesnevi-book-1-redhouse.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized from supplied passage.
- id: ev:6
type: summary
locator: lines 12314-12335
quote_or_summary: The lion silently plans punishment, says the companions should
await his sovereign will, compares them to pictures unable to guide an artist,
invokes evil thoughts of God, and warns that worldly riches are smiles of Providence
and a trap.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/sufi/project-gutenberg/mesnevi-book-1-redhouse.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized from supplied passage.
- id: ev:7
type: summary
locator: lines 12336-12345
quote_or_summary: The lion commands the wolf to divide the spoil; the wolf assigns
the mountain-ox to the lion, the ibex to himself, and the hare to the fox.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/sufi/project-gutenberg/mesnevi-book-1-redhouse.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized from supplied passage.
- id: ev:8
type: quote
locator: lines 12346-12351
quote_or_summary: The lion rebukes the wolf for saying “thou” and “I” in his presence
and tears him to pieces.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/sufi/project-gutenberg/mesnevi-book-1-redhouse.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short excerpt summarized with minimal quotation
from supplied passage.
- id: ev:9
type: summary
locator: lines 12352-12359
quote_or_summary: The lion says the sight of him should have chased all thought
of self from the wolf, and that the wolf should have vanquished himself in the
lion’s presence.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/sufi/project-gutenberg/mesnevi-book-1-redhouse.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized from supplied passage.
- id: ev:10
type: summary
locator: lines 12360-12366
quote_or_summary: The narrator cites holy writ that all perishes except divine counsel,
says one who loses life for God’s sake is saved, and warns that speaking of “me”
and “thee” in God’s court leads to being cut off.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/sufi/project-gutenberg/mesnevi-book-1-redhouse.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized from supplied passage.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: medium
notes: Literal narrative elements are clear in the supplied passage. Motif assignments
are limited to broad supplied taxonomy references and should be reviewed by a
human specialist.
reviewer_status:
status: needs_review
reviewer: ''
reviewed_at: ''
notes: Machine-generated draft from OpenAI Batch; not human-reviewed.
extracted_by: openai_batch:gpt-5.5
extracted_at: '2026-04-29'
notes: |-
No external sources, indexes, or identifications were used beyond the provided passage and metadata.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:sufi-rumi-mesnevi-book-1-redhouse-gutenberg__l12254-l12366
passage_sha256=8f6162e1331436d38a0ed6e5425cf90f5e65cf4ed195f79fc4c20e3bb269da46