batch.motif.sufi-rumi-mesnevi-book-1-redhouse-gutenberg-l5635-l5748
---
record_id: batch.motif.sufi-rumi-mesnevi-book-1-redhouse-gutenberg-l5635-l5748
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/sufi/project-gutenberg/mesnevi-book-1-redhouse.md
passage_locator:
label: OF QONYA. / PREFACE. / IN THE NAME OF GOD, / THE ALL-MERCIFUL, THE VERY-COMPASSIONATE.;
lines 5635-5748
start: '5635'
end: '5748'
translation: The Mesnevi
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: ''
summary: A healer discerns that a woman’s illness comes from concealed love rather
than bodily disease. The passage reflects on love as a divine probe of hearts,
on the inadequacy of words before love and God, and on the image of the sun and
soul-sun. The healer asks to be left alone with the patient, questions her while
feeling her pulse, and the narrator compares hidden mental pain to a thorn that
must be skillfully found and removed.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: The healer sees the woman’s trouble, keeps her secret, and judges that her
body is sound while her soul suffers from a suppressed wish.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: The passage states that love probes the depths of hearts and draws mortals
heavenward.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:3
text: The passage says love is difficult to describe adequately in words or writing.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:4
text: The sun is used as an image for self-explanation, while the soul-sun, God,
is described as shining eternally.
category: object
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:5
text: The passage states that the breath of life was given to the body by God and
should reunite with Him if mercy saves.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:6
text: A distressed lover calls for immediate help, fearing that delay will cause
harm.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:7
text: The true Mystic is described as meeting the need of each moment and not relying
on tomorrow.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:8
text: The speaker urges plain speech and the tearing away of a veil, while also
warning that excessive nearness to the sun would ruin the world.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:9
text: The guest tells the prince to clear the chambers so he can question the patient
without other listeners.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:10
text: The healer questions the patient about her home, town, friends, family, and
companions while keeping a finger on her pulse.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: obs:11
text: The passage compares finding a hidden mental pain to searching for a thorn
in a wounded foot.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- ev:10
- id: obs:12
text: The passage says that unskillful reactions to a thorn can drive it deeper,
and that reason must ease the pain.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: the guest / leech / healer
description: A guest who acts as healer, diagnoses concealed love, asks for privacy,
and questions the patient while monitoring her pulse.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:7
- ev:8
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: the patient / woman
description: A woman whose body is described as sound but whose soul suffers from
a suppressed wish and concealed love.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:7
- ev:8
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: the prince
description: A prince whose mind the guest seeks to still before asking that the
chambers be cleared.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: God / soul-sun
description: God is described as the soul-sun that shines eternally and as the giver
of the breath of life.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: the true Mystic
description: A mystic described as relieving each moment’s need and not making tomorrow
a point of creed.
role_refs:
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: Sun of Tebrīz
description: A named holy figure invoked in a warning not to vaunt his holy birth.
role_refs:
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
roles:
- id: role:1
label: diagnostician and healer
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: He identifies love as the patient’s illness, clears the room, asks private
questions, and monitors her pulse.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:7
- ev:8
- id: role:2
label: love-sick patient
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: Her body is sound, but her soul has a suppressed wish and her heart is said
to be sick from love.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:3
label: authority over the chamber
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: The guest addresses the prince’s mind and requests that the chambers be cleared.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: role:4
label: divine source and object of return
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: God is called the soul-sun, giver of the breath of life, and the one with
whom that life should reunite.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: role:5
label: present-moment spiritual adept
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: The true Mystic is said to relieve each moment’s need and reject reliance
on tomorrow.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: role:6
label: holy exemplar named by solar title
assigned_to:
- fig:6
basis: The passage names the Sun of Tebrīz and warns against vaunting his holy birth.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: sun
literal_form: The visible sun and the soul-sun are used as images of illumination
and divine presence.
associated_figures:
- fig:4
- fig:6
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:6
- id: sym:2
label: shade
literal_form: A shade gives only a small hint of the sun and is contrasted with
the sun’s effulgence.
associated_figures: []
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: sym:3
label: ray on the heart
literal_form: A ray of the soul-sun must fall on the heart for its sheen to be portrayed.
associated_figures:
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: sym:4
label: veil
literal_form: A veil is to be torn off so beauty or love may appear without dissimulation.
associated_figures: []
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: sym:5
label: thorn
literal_form: A thorn in the foot, and a thorn beneath an ass’s tail, serve as literal
comparisons for hidden pain and clumsy treatment.
associated_figures: []
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- ev:10
- id: sym:6
label: pulse
literal_form: The healer keeps a finger on the patient’s pulse while asking questions.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: sym:7
label: dagger
literal_form: The lover fears that delay may plant a dagger.
associated_figures: []
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Diagnosis of concealed love
summary: The healer observes the woman, keeps her secret, and concludes that her
suffering comes from suppressed love rather than bodily disease.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: Reflection on love and divine illumination
summary: The narrator reflects that love cannot be adequately described, that the
sun explains itself, and that God as soul-sun illuminates the heart.
figure_refs:
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: scene:3
label: Urgency of the lover and the mystic
summary: A lover calls for help without delay, and the true Mystic is described
as meeting present need rather than postponing action.
figure_refs:
- fig:5
symbol_refs:
- sym:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: scene:4
label: Unveiling and moderation
summary: The speaker urges plainness and unveiling but warns that excessive exposure
to the sun’s power would be destructive; the Sun of Tebrīz is named in this warning
context.
figure_refs:
- fig:6
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: scene:5
label: Private questioning of the patient
summary: The guest asks the prince to clear the chambers and then questions the
patient about her origins and relationships while feeling her pulse.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
- id: scene:6
label: Thorn analogy for hidden mental pain
summary: The narrator compares hidden grief to a thorn that requires skill to find
and remove, noting that ignorant movement can drive the thorn deeper.
figure_refs: []
symbol_refs:
- sym:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- ev:10
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: hidden love as illness
taxonomy_refs:
- divine_beloved
basis: The patient’s physical body is sound, but her soul has a suppressed wish
and her heart is sick from love; the wider reflection links love with heavenward
movement.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
confidence: medium
cautions: The immediate illness concerns a human patient; the divine-beloved taxonomy
fit depends on the passage’s broader mystical reflection on love.
- id: motif:2
label: love as spiritual probe and guide
taxonomy_refs:
- mystical_quest
basis: Love is described as a probe that sounds hearts’ depths and draws mortals
heavenward, while ordinary language fails to explain it.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage is reflective rather than narrating a complete quest sequence.
- id: motif:3
label: divine illumination by the soul-sun
taxonomy_refs:
- wisdom
basis: The passage contrasts shade with the sun’s effulgence and says that without
a ray from the soul-sun on the heart, no thought or picture can portray its sheen.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
confidence: high
cautions: No available taxonomy symbol for sun is supplied, so the symbol has no
taxonomy reference.
- id: motif:4
label: return of life to God
taxonomy_refs:
- annihilation_union
basis: The passage says the breath of life given by God to the body should reunite
with Him if mercy saves.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
confidence: medium
cautions: The wording supports reunion but does not fully elaborate annihilation
or mystical union doctrine in this excerpt.
- id: motif:5
label: unveiling of beauty and moderated revelation
taxonomy_refs:
- divine_beloved
basis: The speaker calls for the veil to be torn away, imagines the beloved unveiled,
and warns that the sun brought too near would ruin the world.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
confidence: medium
cautions: The beloved is not fully identified in this passage; the motif is inferred
from imagery of unveiling and overpowering radiance.
- id: motif:6
label: hidden thorn of inward grief
taxonomy_refs:
- wisdom
basis: The passage compares mental anguish to a thorn difficult to find and says
reason is needed to ease the pain rather than worsen it.
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- ev:10
confidence: high
cautions: This is an analogy for psychological diagnosis rather than a mythic object
episode.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 5635-5642
quote_or_summary: The healer sees the woman’s trouble, keeps her secret, and traces
the sickness to an oppressed mind and suppressed wish rather than bodily disease.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/sufi/project-gutenberg/mesnevi-book-1-redhouse.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: lines 5643-5651
quote_or_summary: Love is described as a probe of hearts that draws mortals heavenward;
attempts to portray love in words or writing are inadequate.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/sufi/project-gutenberg/mesnevi-book-1-redhouse.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: lines 5652-5663
quote_or_summary: The sun alone explains the sun; shade gives only a hint, while
God as the soul-sun shines eternally and must cast a ray on the heart.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/sufi/project-gutenberg/mesnevi-book-1-redhouse.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: lines 5664-5673
quote_or_summary: At mention of God’s name, His grace should be remembered; He gave
breath of life to the body, and that life should reunite with Him if mercy saves.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/sufi/project-gutenberg/mesnevi-book-1-redhouse.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: lines 5674-5685
quote_or_summary: The speaker says human praise fails without divine inspiration;
a lover cries for immediate aid, and the true Mystic attends to each moment rather
than tomorrow.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/sufi/project-gutenberg/mesnevi-book-1-redhouse.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:6
type: summary
locator: lines 5686-5698
quote_or_summary: The speaker urges plain speech and tearing off the veil, imagines
unveiled love, warns that the sun brought too near would ruin the world, and names
the Sun of Tebrīz.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/sufi/project-gutenberg/mesnevi-book-1-redhouse.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:7
type: summary
locator: lines 5699-5707
quote_or_summary: The guest, convinced that love caused the woman’s illness, calms
the prince and asks that the chambers be emptied so he can question the patient
privately.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/sufi/project-gutenberg/mesnevi-book-1-redhouse.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:8
type: summary
locator: lines 5708-5715
quote_or_summary: Alone with the patient, the healer gently asks about her home,
town, friends, family, and companions while keeping a finger on her pulse.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/sufi/project-gutenberg/mesnevi-book-1-redhouse.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:9
type: summary
locator: lines 5716-5721
quote_or_summary: A wounded person searches with a needle for a thorn in the foot
and soothes the pain when it is not found.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/sufi/project-gutenberg/mesnevi-book-1-redhouse.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:10
type: summary
locator: lines 5722-5748
quote_or_summary: The narrator says a mental thorn is harder to find; an ass with
a thorn under its tail worsens the wound by jumping and whisking, while reason
must ease the smart.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/sufi/project-gutenberg/mesnevi-book-1-redhouse.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: uncertain
notes: The passage clearly supports the narrative extraction and major symbols.
Motif taxonomy assignments are cautious because the excerpt blends narrative diagnosis,
lyric theology, and analogy rather than presenting a single mythic episode. No
comparison claims were made because the passage itself does not support an explicit
comparison to another tradition or corpus.
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: '2026-04-28'
notes: |-
Used only the supplied passage and metadata. Available symbol taxonomy did not include sun, veil, thorn, pulse, shade, ray, or dagger; these are recorded without taxonomy references.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:sufi-rumi-mesnevi-book-1-redhouse-gutenberg__l5635-l5748
passage_sha256=8aaadf9551856f7507804c7a43333125fde85133acc3ebe04cb339b678d65bb5