In Section 30 of Khiradnama-yi Iskandari (from Jami's Haft Awrang), a richly dressed youth visits a contented sage but speaks at length in flawed, meaningless words that are neither eloquent in expression nor sound in meaning. The sage rebukes him with the central image: if you cannot cook savory words in the pot of speech, do not clothe your body in fine silk and brocade.

Core Allegorical Themes

• Garments versus Speech: Costly clothing (aksun and khazz) symbolizes outward, purchasable adornment, while eloquent and meaningful speech represents cultivated inner worth that cannot be bought or borrowed.
• The Self-Revealing Tongue: Because a person's defects escape through the tongue, no external covering can conceal them; the veil of expensive dress is useless against the exposure of foolish words.
• Substance over Surface: The tale advances the recurrent Sufi-didactic critique that inner refinement and knowledge outweigh outward display, warning against investing in...