batch.motif.sufi-jami-persian-mystics-davis-gutenberg-l1798-l1817
---
record_id: batch.motif.sufi-jami-persian-mystics-davis-gutenberg-l1798-l1817
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/sufi/project-gutenberg/persian-mystics-jami-davis.md
passage_locator:
label: FRIENDSHIP / SECOND GARDEN / SILENCE / OCCUPATION ENNOBLED BY A GREAT MAN;
lines 1798-1817
start: '1798'
end: '1817'
translation: 'The Persian Mystics: Jámí'
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: ''
summary: The passage first advises silence and guarding secrets. It then tells of
Alexander demoting an official to a lower post; when asked about the new occupation,
the official says that a person is not ennobled by rank, but an office is ennobled
by a great person practicing honesty, justice, and equity. Alexander is pleased
and restores him to his former office.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: The passage states that no one repented of keeping a secret sealed, but many
repented of revealing one.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: The passage advises remaining silent, because quiet sitting with a collected
mind is better than distracting speech.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:3
text: Alexander removes one of his officials from a high post and employs him in
a low post.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:4
text: The demoted official waits upon Alexander and is asked what he thinks of his
occupation.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:5
text: The official answers that a man is not ennobled by a great occupation, but
an occupation is ennobled by a great man.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:6
text: The official says that honesty, justice, and equity are needed in every post.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:7
text: Alexander is pleased with the official's opinion and restores him to his former
office.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: speaker of the silence maxim
description: An unnamed didactic voice advising secrecy and silence.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Alexander
description: A ruler who demotes an official, questions him, is pleased by his reply,
and reinstalls him.
role_refs:
- role:2
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:4
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: demoted official
description: An official removed from a high post to a low post who answers Alexander
with a maxim about worth, office, honesty, justice, and equity.
role_refs:
- role:3
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
roles:
- id: role:1
label: didactic instructor
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: The voice gives maxims about secrecy, silence, and collectedness of mind.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:2
label: ruler who tests or judges an official
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: Alexander lowers an official's post, asks his opinion, and responds to the
answer.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:4
- id: role:3
label: official under demotion
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: The man is removed from a high post and employed in a low post.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: role:4
label: wise respondent
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: The official gives a moral answer about greatness, office, honesty, justice,
and equity.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:5
label: restorer of office
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: Alexander reinstalls the man in his former office after approving his opinion.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: sealed secret
literal_form: a secret under seal
associated_figures:
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: sym:2
label: high and low posts
literal_form: a high post and a low post
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: sym:3
label: former office
literal_form: the official's former office
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Instruction on silence
summary: A didactic voice contrasts the safety of keeping a secret with the regret
caused by revealing one, and advises silent collectedness over distracting speech.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: Demotion and questioning of the official
summary: Alexander lowers an official from a high post to a low one; the official
later waits on Alexander and is asked his view of the occupation.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: scene:3
label: Wise reply and restoration
summary: The official replies that office does not ennoble a person, but a great
person ennobles an office through honesty, justice, and equity; Alexander approves
and restores him.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: wisdom of silence and guarded speech
taxonomy_refs:
- wisdom
basis: The passage offers maxims praising secrecy, silence, and a collected mind
over revealing speech.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
confidence: high
cautions: The available taxonomy only supports a broad wisdom classification, not
a specific silence motif.
- id: motif:2
label: humble office ennobled by virtuous character
taxonomy_refs:
- wisdom
basis: The official states that greatness lies not in the rank of the occupation
but in the person who practices honesty, justice, and equity in any post.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
confidence: high
cautions: This is an ethical exemplum rather than a mythic narrative motif in the
narrow sense.
- id: motif:3
label: ruler rewards wise answer after demotion
taxonomy_refs:
- wisdom
basis: Alexander demotes the official, hears his prudent answer, is pleased, and
reinstalls him.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage does not explicitly frame the demotion as a deliberate test,
so the role of testing is inferred only cautiously from the sequence.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 1798-1804
quote_or_summary: The section titled 'SILENCE' says that people do not regret keeping
a secret sealed but often regret revealing one, and advises quiet collectedness
over distracting speech.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/sufi/project-gutenberg/persian-mystics-jami-davis.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: lines 1805-1811
quote_or_summary: In 'OCCUPATION ENNOBLED BY A GREAT MAN,' Alexander removes an
official from a high post to a low post; the man later waits on Alexander and
is asked his opinion of the occupation.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/sufi/project-gutenberg/persian-mystics-jami-davis.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:3
type: quote
locator: lines 1812-1816
quote_or_summary: '"A man is not ennobled by a great occupation, but an occupation
is ennobled by a great man. In every post honesty, justice and equity are needed."'
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/sufi/project-gutenberg/persian-mystics-jami-davis.md
rights_note: Public domain source.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: lines 1816-1817
quote_or_summary: Alexander is pleased with the opinion and reinstalls the official
in his former office.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/sufi/project-gutenberg/persian-mystics-jami-davis.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: high
notes: The extraction is based entirely on the supplied passage. Motif assignment
is broad because the passage is mainly didactic and ethical rather than mythic.
No comparison claims are made because the passage itself does not support a cross-textual
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: '2026-04-28'
notes: |-
No available symbol taxonomy item directly matches the passage symbols; no comparison claims added.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:sufi-jami-persian-mystics-davis-gutenberg__l1798-l1817
passage_sha256=7f27c1af0de36f7902c2f4b431e883e0f925961776dce5f1176a4e588bddf3cb