In Book 3 of Jalaluddin Rumi's *Masnavi*, the enamored guest responds to the terrifying midnight talismanic cry in the deadly mosque with unwavering courage. He compares the frightening noise to the "drum of Eid" (a celebratory drum), asserting that only the hollow and heartless—like the empty drum itself—should fear the blows of divine trials. Embodying the bravery of Haydar (Imam Ali), the guest is prepared to either attain spiritual victory or sacrifice his physical body. This metaphor illustrates the true mystic's fearless embrace of tribulation, viewing apparent threats as an invitation to spiritual triumph.

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## Original content
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بشنو اکنون قصهٔ آن بانگ سخت 
که نرفت از جا بدان آن نیکبخت
گفت چون ترسم چو هست این طبل عید 
تا دهل ترسد که زخم او را رسید
ای دهلهای تهی بی قلوب 
قسمتان از عید جان شد زخم چوب
شد قیامت عید و بی‌دینان دهل 
ما چو اهل عید خندان همچو گل
بشنو اکنون این دهل چون بانگ زد 
دیگ دولتبا چگونه می‌پزد
چونک بشنود آن دهل آن مرد دید 
گفت چون ترسد دلم از طبل عید
گفت با خود هین ملرزان دل کزین 
مرد جان بددلان بی‌یقین
وقت آن آمد که حیدروار من 
ملک گیرم یا بپردازم بدن
بر جهید و بانگ بر زد کای کیا 
حاضرم اینک اگر مردی بیا
در زمان بشکست ز آواز آن طلسم 
زر همی‌ریزید هر سو قسم قسم
ریخت چند این زر که ترسید آن پسر 
تا نگیرد زر ز پری راه در
بعد از آن برخاست آن شیر عتید 
تا سحرگه زر به بیرون می‌کشید
دفن می‌کرد و همی آمد بزر 
با جوال و توبره بار دگر
گنجها بنهاد آن جانباز از آن 
کوری ترسانی واپس خزان
این زر ظاهر بخاطر آمدست 
در دل هر کور دور زرپرست
کودکان اسفالها را بشکنند 
نام زر بنهند و در دامن کنند
اندر آن بازی چو گویی نام زر 
آن کند در خاطر کودک گذر
بل زر مضروب ضرب ایزدی 
کو نگردد کاسد آمد سرمدی
آن زری کین زر از آن زر تاب یافت 
گوهر و تابندگی و آب یافت
آن زری که دل ازو گردد غنی 
غالب آید بر قمر در روشنی
شمع بود آن مسجد و پروانه او 
خویشتن در باخت آن پروانه‌خو
پر بسوخت او را ولیکن ساختش 
بس مبارک آمد آن انداختش
همچو موسی بود آن مسعودبخت 
کاتشی دید او به سوی آن درخت
چون عنایتها برو موفور بود 
نار می‌پنداشت و خود آن نور بود
مرد حق را چون ببینی ای پسر 
تو گمان داری برو نار بشر
تو ز خود می‌آیی و آن در تو است 
نار و خار ظن باطل این سو است
او درخت موسی است و پر ضیا 
نور خوان نارش مخوان باری بیا
نه فطام این جهان ناری نمود 
سالکان رفتند و آن خود نور بود
پس بدان که شمع دین بر می‌شود 
این نه همچون شمع آتشها بود
این نماید نور و سوزد یار را 
و آن بصورت نار و گل زوار را
این چو سازنده ولی سوزنده‌ای 
و آن گه وصلت دل افروزنده‌ای
شکل شعلهٔ نور پاک سازوار 
حاضران را نور و دوران را چو نار

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## English translation
Now hear the tale of that terrible cry,
That did not move that fortunate one from his place.

He said: How should I fear, when this is the drum of ʿĪd?
Let the drum fear, for the blow has reached it.

O hollow drums, you heartless ones,
Your share from the festival of the soul has become the blow of the stick.

The Resurrection has become a festival, and the faithless are the drum,
While we, like the people of the festival, smile like flowers.

Now hear how this drum sounded,
And how the cauldron of fortune cooks.

When he heard the drum and that man was seen,
He said: How should my heart fear the drum of ʿĪd?

He said to himself: Come, do not make the heart tremble — for by this
The souls of the faint-hearted and faithless ones perish.

The time has come that I, in the manner of Haydar,
Shall seize the kingdom or surrender this body.

He leapt up and cried: O kiyā!
Here I am — if you are a man, come!

In that instant the talisman shattered from that voice,
Gold was pouring out on every side, portion by portion.

This gold poured so much that the young man grew afraid
Lest the gold, by its fullness, block the way of the door.

After that, that prepared lion arose
And until dawn was drawing gold outward.

He was burying it and returning for more gold
With sacks and bags, time after time.

Treasures did that soul-staking one lay from those riches,
To the blindness of the fearful ones who had crawled back.

This outward gold has come to the mind
In the heart of every blind, benighted gold-worshipper.

Children break potsherds,
Name them gold, and put them in their laps.

In that game, if you speak the name of gold,
It passes through the child's mind.

But the gold struck with the divine stamp —
Which never grows stale — that is eternal.

That gold from which this gold gained its luster,
Found its essence, its radiance, and its sheen.

That gold by which the heart becomes rich
Surpasses the moon in brightness.

That mosque was the candle and he was the moth;
That moth-natured one lost himself therein.

His wings burned, but it made him whole;
Most blessed was that casting of himself into it.

That one of blessed fortune was like Moses,
Who saw a fire toward that tree.

Since graces upon him were abundant,
He thought it fire, but it was light itself.

When you see a man of God, O son,
You suppose him to be the fire of a human being.

You come from yourself, and that is within you;
The fire and thorns of false conjecture are on this side.

He is the tree of Moses, full of radiance;
Call it light — do not call it fire — come at least!

Did not the weaning from this world appear fiery?
The wayfarers went on, and it was light all along.

Know then that the candle of religion rises high;
This is not like the candles of fires.

This one shows light yet burns the friend,
While that one, in the form of fire, is roses for the visitors.

This is like a maker, yet a burner,
And that, at the moment of union, is a kindler of hearts.

The form of the flame of pure light, fitting and harmonious:
Light for those present, and like fire for those far away.

دفتر سوم - بخش ۲۱۱ - رسیدن بانگ طلسمی نیم‌شب مهمان مسجد را / Book Three - Section 211 - The Arrival of the Talisman's Cry at Midnight to the Guest of the Mosque

In Book 3 of Jalaluddin Rumi's Masnavi, after ignoring the locals' warnings, the enamored guest settles into the perilous guest-killing mosque. Rumi emphasizes the intensity of the guest's spiritual state by noting his inability to sleep, asking rhetorically how a drowning man could sleep in a stream. He contrasts ordinary beings—likened to birds and fish who can rest—with true lovers, who lie awake beneath the floodwaters of grief and spiritual longing. This metaphor highlights that a sincere seeker is entirely consumed by their quest and incapable of worldly complacency. The narrative reaches its climax at midnight when a terrifying, harsh voice echoes five times, declaring, 'I am coming upon you, O seeker of benefit!' Allegorically, this terrifying voice signifies the overwhelming onset of divine intervention and the severe trials of self-annihilation (fana) that the ego must face when approaching the Divine.

The Guest's Ordeal and the Midnight Voice in the Deadly Mosque

In the Masnavi, Rumi frequently contrasts imposing outward physical forms with a lack of inner substance or courage. A prime example is the metaphor of the empty drum, which makes a loud, intimidating noise but is completely hollow inside. This theme is vividly illustrated in Section 90 through the story of a physically huge but cowardly man who likens himself to an empty drum, as well as in the subsequent Section 91 through the tale of a heavily armed rider who is easily frightened despite his fearsome appearance. These intertwined parables serve to teach learners to look past superficial, intimidating forms and recognize that true strength, courage, and spiritual meaning (ma'ni) reside solely within.

The Metaphor of the Empty Drum: Outward Form vs. Inner Reality

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The Metaphor of the Eid Drum and the Guest's Fearless Resolve

In Book 3 of Jalaluddin Rumi's Masnavi, the narrative of the guest in the deadly mosque emphasizes absolute spiritual steadfastness and the welcoming of self-annihilation. The guest boldly declares his readiness to face death by comparing himself to historical and religious archetypes of ultimate surrender. He references Mansur al-Hallaj, the mystic who willingly accepted execution on the gallows for his ecstatic union with the Divine, and Abraham, who was cast into a fire but found peace within it, refusing even the angelic intervention of Gabriel. These metaphors illustrate the true lover's indifference to worldly survival, demonstrating that profound faith requires an unwavering embrace of trials as the path to spiritual union.

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