batch.motif.sufi-rumi-mesnevi-book-1-redhouse-gutenberg-l7888-l7997
---
record_id: batch.motif.sufi-rumi-mesnevi-book-1-redhouse-gutenberg-l7888-l7997
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 7888-7997
start: '7888'
end: '7997'
translation: The Mesnevi
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: ''
summary: A fly perched on straw in a pool imagines himself captain of a ship on
a sea; this becomes an analogy for false interpretation. The passage then returns
to the hare and lion story, describes deceptive words as bubbles, shells, portraits,
and writing on water, contrasts worldly rulers with prophetic and divine permanence,
praises wisdom as a shoreless ocean, and ends with images of mind, body, color,
light, and God as the source of inward illumination.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: A fly stands on a scrap of straw in a pool and speaks as if he has made a
sea and ship and is their captain.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: The fly's imagined sea is said to be conjured by imagination and measured
by the fly's sight.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:3
text: A false interpreter of scripture is explicitly compared to the fly, and his
fancy to the urine pool with floating straws.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:4
text: The lion growls angrily and says that false wiles and wooden swords deceived
him like flies.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:5
text: Deceitful words are described as bubbles on water, shell without life, portrait
without life, and writing on water.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:6
text: The passage says desire should be put out, after which Jehovah's endless reign
will be found.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:7
text: Earthly rulers' names on coins are contrasted with Ahmed's name, which is
said to endure and include the prophets.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:8
text: The hare proceeds slowly toward the lion while devising wiles and delaying.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:9
text: Wisdom and the subtle mind of man are described as vast or shoreless oceans,
with bodies drifting like basins on water.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: obs:10
text: The body is compared to waves or drops of a vast sea moved by an invisible
wind.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: obs:11
text: People are depicted as thinking their coursers are lost while the roadster
has carried them many miles.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- id: obs:12
text: Colors are said to vanish by night and to be seen through light; inward colors
are said to arise from God's sunrise.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
- id: obs:13
text: The light of the eye is said to be derived from the light in the heart, and
the heart's light is said to come from God.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: fly
description: A fly on a scrap of straw in a pool, imagining himself a sailor or
captain on a sea.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: false interpreter of scripture
description: A person explicitly likened to the fly, whose fancy is likened to the
pool on which straws float.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: lion
description: An angry lion who growls about having been deceived by wiles and resolves
not to heed such cries.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: hare
description: The hare moves slowly toward the lion and devises wiles for what he
will say.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Jehovah / God
description: The eternal divine source of peace, good, and the light of the heart.
role_refs:
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:11
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: kings and princes
description: Earthly rulers whose prayers and coin inscriptions are described as
changeable or temporary.
role_refs:
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: fig:7
name_or_label: saints and prophets
description: Holy figures whose prayers call on God alone; prophets are included
under the name of Ahmed.
role_refs:
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: fig:8
name_or_label: Ahmed
description: A name said to remain on coins and to cover all the prophets.
role_refs:
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: fig:9
name_or_label: desirous man / soul
description: Human persons described as puffed up by desires, limited by sense,
and needing divine light for perception.
role_refs:
- role:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:11
roles:
- id: role:1
label: self-imagined captain
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: The fly calls the pool a sea and ship and says he is its captain.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:2
label: mistaken interpreter
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: The text explicitly compares a false interpreter of scripture to the fly
and his fantasy to the pool.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: role:3
label: deceived and angry beast
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: The lion says false wiles bandaged his eyes and anger him.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:4
label: schemer and delayer
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: The hare walks slowly, hatches wiles, and uses procrastination for his design.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: role:5
label: eternal source and giver of light
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: Jehovah is called eternal, and the heart's light is said to come from God.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:11
- id: role:6
label: temporary worldly sovereigns
assigned_to:
- fig:6
basis: Kings' and princes' prayers change, and the names of kings on coins are used
only for a while.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: role:7
label: prophetic holy figures
assigned_to:
- fig:7
- fig:8
basis: Saints and prophets call on God alone, and Ahmed's name is said to include
all prophets.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: role:8
label: limited perceiver
assigned_to:
- fig:9
basis: The passage describes desire, limited color perception, and the need for
inward light from God.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:11
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: pool mistaken for sea
literal_form: pool / imagined sea
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs:
- water
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: sym:2
label: straw as ship
literal_form: scrap of straw bearing the fly
associated_figures:
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: sym:3
label: bubbles on water
literal_form: bubbles that last only a while on water
associated_figures: []
taxonomy_refs:
- water
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: sym:4
label: shell and kernel
literal_form: shell covering kernel, sometimes foul and sometimes sound
associated_figures: []
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: sym:5
label: writing on water
literal_form: page of water on which writing quickly disbands
associated_figures: []
taxonomy_refs:
- water
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: sym:6
label: wisdom ocean
literal_form: vast or shoreless ocean of wisdom and subtle mind
associated_figures:
- fig:9
taxonomy_refs:
- water
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: sym:7
label: floating basin body
literal_form: bodies like basins or bowls drifting and then sinking when full
associated_figures:
- fig:9
taxonomy_refs:
- water
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: sym:8
label: invisible wind and vast sea
literal_form: invisible wind, waves, drops, and vast sea
associated_figures:
- fig:9
taxonomy_refs:
- water
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: sym:9
label: lost courser
literal_form: courser or roadster thought lost while carrying the rider
associated_figures:
- fig:9
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- id: sym:10
label: divine light
literal_form: light of eye, light in heart, God's sunrise
associated_figures:
- fig:5
- fig:9
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
- id: sym:11
label: colors and rainbow of mind
literal_form: outer colors, inward tints, and sudden rainbow of mind
associated_figures:
- fig:9
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Fly imagines himself captain of a sea
summary: A fly on straw in a pool boasts that he has created a sea and ship and
captains it; the narrator explains that imagination makes the small pool seem
boundless to him.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: False interpreter compared to fly
summary: The passage applies the fly image to a false interpreter of scripture,
whose fancy is compared with the pool and straws.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:1
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: scene:3
label: Lion rejects deceptive wiles
summary: The lion angrily recalls being deceived by false wiles and says he will
no longer heed such cajolery.
figure_refs:
- fig:3
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: scene:4
label: Images of deceitful speech
summary: The narrator describes guileful words through images of bubbles, shells,
portraits, and writing on water, emphasizing their instability or lack of living
substance.
figure_refs: []
symbol_refs:
- sym:3
- sym:4
- sym:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: scene:5
label: Divine permanence contrasted with worldly rule
summary: The passage urges the extinction of desire, speaks of Jehovah's endless
reign, contrasts transient earthly kings with prophets, and says Ahmed's name
includes the prophets.
figure_refs:
- fig:5
- fig:6
- fig:7
- fig:8
- fig:9
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: scene:6
label: Hare approaches the lion with wiles
summary: The tale resumes as the hare slowly approaches the lion, devising his words
and using delay toward his design.
figure_refs:
- fig:4
- fig:3
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: scene:7
label: Wisdom and mind as ocean
summary: Wisdom and the subtle mind are figured as vast oceans, while bodies drift
like bowls on water and are subject to eddies and sinking.
figure_refs:
- fig:9
symbol_refs:
- sym:6
- sym:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: scene:8
label: Bodies as waves and seekers of a lost horse
summary: The passage compares bodies to waves or drops in a vast sea and depicts
people as mistakenly seeking a lost courser while being carried along.
figure_refs:
- fig:9
symbol_refs:
- sym:8
- sym:9
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- ev:10
- id: scene:9
label: Color, light, and divine illumination
summary: The passage explains color through light, extends the image to inward perception,
and identifies God as the source of the heart's light.
figure_refs:
- fig:5
- fig:9
symbol_refs:
- sym:10
- sym:11
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: small creature's world mistaken for a vast sea
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The fly treats a pool and straw as a sea and ship and speaks as their captain;
the narrator says the fly's universe is measured by his sight.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
confidence: high
cautions: This is a local exemplum rather than a named taxonomy motif in the supplied
list.
- id: motif:2
label: false interpretation as distorted perception
taxonomy_refs:
- wisdom
basis: The false interpreter is likened to the fly whose imagination magnifies a
small polluted pool into a sea.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
confidence: high
cautions: The wisdom taxonomy reference is broad; the passage itself frames the
point as interpretive error.
- id: motif:3
label: deceptive speech as empty or unstable form
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Deceitful words are figured as bubbles on water, empty shell or portrait,
and writing on water.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
confidence: high
cautions: No specific supplied motif-family label directly corresponds to these
images.
- id: motif:4
label: renunciation of desire reveals divine permanence
taxonomy_refs:
- annihilation_union
basis: The passage says to put out desire and find Jehovah's endless reign, contrasting
changeable worldly forms with divine permanence.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
confidence: medium
cautions: The supplied taxonomy label is approximate; the passage stresses extinguishing
desire and divine eternality more than explicit union.
- id: motif:5
label: wisdom or mind as shoreless ocean
taxonomy_refs:
- wisdom
basis: Wisdom and the subtle mind of man are described as vast or shoreless oceans
sounded by a fearless diver.
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
confidence: high
cautions: The ocean imagery is explicit, but its classification under the broad
wisdom family remains a cataloging decision.
- id: motif:6
label: body carried by unseen forces
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Bodies are compared with basins on water, waves, and drops moved in a vast
sea by an invisible wind.
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- ev:9
confidence: high
cautions: No supplied taxonomy motif directly matches this image.
- id: motif:7
label: mistaken search for what already bears the seeker
taxonomy_refs:
- mystical_quest
basis: People think their coursers are lost while the roadster has borne them many
miles, then ask others for the way.
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
confidence: medium
cautions: The mystical quest reference is tentative because the passage gives an
analogy of misrecognition rather than a full quest narrative.
- id: motif:8
label: divine light as source of perception
taxonomy_refs:
- wisdom
basis: The passage says colors are perceived through light, inward tints arise from
God's sunrise, and the heart's light comes from God.
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
confidence: high
cautions: The supplied taxonomy has no distinct light symbol; classification under
wisdom is broad.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 7888-7900
quote_or_summary: A fly on a scrap of straw in a pool claims he has called forth
a sea and ship, is their captain, and sees the pool as boundless according to
his limited sight.
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 7901-7908
quote_or_summary: The narrator says a false interpreter of scripture is such a fly,
and his fancy is the pool on which straws float.
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 7909-7916
quote_or_summary: The lion growls in anger, says false wiles bandaged his eyes and
stung like flies, and tells his heart not to heed them.
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 7917-7928
quote_or_summary: Deceitful words are compared to bubbles on water, shells covering
kernels, lifeless portraits, and writing on water that quickly disappears.
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 7929-7932
quote_or_summary: Man with desires is puffed up; putting out desire reveals Jehovah's
endless reign, whose messages are peace for the pious soul.
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 7933-7942
quote_or_summary: Prayers for kings and princes change, while saints and prophets
call on God; kings' names on coins are temporary, while Ahmed's name remains and
includes the prophets.
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 7943-7950
quote_or_summary: The narration turns back to the hare and lion; the hare slowly
approaches, hatching wiles and delaying to fulfill his design.
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: summary
locator: lines 7951-7958
quote_or_summary: Wisdom and the subtle mind are described as vast or shoreless
oceans; bodies drift like basins or bowls on water and sink when full.
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:9
type: summary
locator: lines 7959-7962
quote_or_summary: The wind is invisible; bodies are compared to waves or drops of
a vast sea, and grasped things are driven away by a billow.
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 7963-7972
quote_or_summary: People think their coursers are lost, are borne many miles by
a roadster, then wail, ask the way, and are told the horse they see is not the
horse they want.
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:11
type: summary
locator: lines 7973-7997
quote_or_summary: The soul is described as inwardly full yet outwardly parched;
colors depend on light, inward tints come from God's sunrise, eye-light derives
from heart-light, and heart-light comes from God.
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: high
notes: The literal images and internal analogies are explicit. Motif-family assignments
are cautious where the supplied taxonomy has only broad categories such as wisdom,
mystical_quest, and annihilation_union. No comparison claims were added because
the passage does not itself support cross-textual or historical comparison.
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: |-
All evidence is drawn only from the supplied passage and metadata.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:sufi-rumi-mesnevi-book-1-redhouse-gutenberg__l7888-l7997
passage_sha256=80cede04aab749d0a09194b5774c2343c3710acf43c98fdec578a08105a2b9e0