Stay Where You Are

Stay Where You Are - fact Summary

Notable Publication Detail

This brief poem expresses a central Sufi fact about Rumi's teaching: the spiritual path requires genuine readiness and courage, not casual curiosity. Using garden and stream imagery, it distinguishes those who can perceive the inward fragrance and are willing to remove coverings from those who are not. The speaker refuses entry to the unready, making exclusion itself a form of guidance. As a reflection of Rumi's lifelong emphasis on sincere commitment to divine love and truth, the lines function as a practical warning about the prerequisites for mystical encounter.