“Wise is the prince who stands at the door of the poor; wretched are the poor who stand at the door of the prince.”

Original: نیکو امیری است آن که بر در درویش ایستد و بد درویشی است آن که بر در امیر ایستد. — Need is judged by which threshold a person chooses to wait at. · Fihi Ma Fihi, Discourse 1 (Persian)

• Dignity
• Poverty
• Pride

“I am a cobbler: leather is plentiful, but I cut and stitch according to the size of the foot.”

Original: من کفشگرم: چرم بسیار است، اما بر اندازه پا می‌برم و می‌دوزم. — Teaching, for Rumi, is fitted to the listener rather than poured out at full measure. · Fihi Ma Fihi, Discourse 25 (Persian)

• Measure
• Teaching
• Words

“These words are for those who need words in order to understand. For those who understand without words, what use is speech?”

Original: این سخن برای آن کس است که سخن می‌باید تا بفهمد. اما آن را که بی‌سخن فهم می‌کند سخن چه فایده دارد؟ — A teacher’s defence of both talking and not talking, according to the hearer’s need. · Fihi Ma Fihi, Discourse 6 (Persian)

• Teaching
• Understanding
• Words