Dr. Soroush identifies this verse as the key to understanding Rumi's stance on "complaint," using it as primary evidence for his interpretation of the Masnavi's opening line. [d1-s3] He argues that Rumi was not a complainer. When the Masnavi begins, "Listen to this reed, how it complains," Soroush reads it as a rhetorical question, immediately clarified by the second half of the verse: it is narrating the story of separations, not complaining about them. [d1-s4]
This verse (M1:1787) makes the principle explicit: "I am not a complainer; I am a narrator." How could one possibly complain about the "Soul of the soul" (جان جان)? For Rumi, this is inconceivable. Therefore, what appears to be a complaint is actually a narration of the journey of separation—a necessary part of the spiritual path that must be told, not lamented. [d1-s3]
Soroush contrasts this worldview with that of Hafez, whom he sees as a poet who genuinely complains about the world's flaws. Rumi, however, is at peace with the "Owner of the House" and sees the world as a paradise. [d1-s4] In such a perspective, there is no room for complaint, only for the narration of a wise and purposeful journey.