M6:2665 — وقتها خواهم که گویم با تو راز / تو درون آب داری ترک‌تاز

Translation: Many times I wish to speak secrets with you, But you roam freely within the water.

Meaning: The mouse expresses to the frog its deep desire for continuous, unhindered conversation and the sharing of secrets. However, the frog resides in the realm of water, making the mouse's access to it limited and intermittent. The verse captures a yearning for direct and constant communion.

This verse is embedded within the tale of the mouse and the frog in Book Six of the Masnavi, a narrative crafted by Mawlana to elucidate the profound connection between the body (tan) and the soul (jan). The mouse symbolizes the earthly, corporeal aspect, while the frog represents the soul, immersed in the ocean of divine knowledge. Mawlana, in his characteristic fashion, transcends the mere narrative framework to infuse the characters with his own spiritual state.

Here, the mouse addresses the frog, stating: "Many times I wish to speak secrets with you, / But you roam freely within the water." This seemingly simple declaration conceals a profound yearning: a desire for continuous, unmediated dialogue, a sharing of secrets unrestricted by time or place. The mouse, emblematic of the terrestrial nature, finds itself on the riverbank, while the frog, representing the soul and the spiritual realm, roams freely in the depths of the water. This free-ranging movement of the frog in the water signifies the unburdened liberty of the soul in the world of meaning, where physicality poses no hindrance to its expansive journey. Mawlana, in this passage, seems to embody the mouse's longing, revealing the restless heart of the Gnostic and the lover.

The mouse's plea to the frog transcends mere limited and scheduled encounters. Mawlana, further in this discussion, views the five daily prayers as the 'minimum' requirement for discourse with the Beloved, yet he emphasizes that "lovers are perpetually in prayer (ʿāshiqān rā fī ṣalāt dāʾimūn)." This verse echoes that same yearning for continuous communion, a thirst that cannot be quenched by a few designated 'times.' The act of 'rāz-gūʾī' (speaking secrets) is not mere conversation; it is an entry into the depth of truth and the unveiling of existential mysteries—what we understand as ʿirfān (gnosis), akin to 'rāz-shenāsī' (secret-knowing).

Mawlana explicitly sheds the personas of the story's characters here, recalling his own 'Hindustan'—that is, the realm of meaning and the Beloved. He no longer speaks through the mouse and the frog but sings through the voice of the 'absolute lover' to the 'absolute Beloved,' directly expressing "his own heart's sentiments." This reiteration underscores that the Masnavi is the 'travelogue of the soul,' and Mawlana himself is that restless reed, narrating tales of separation. The cries and 'shouting' from the riverbank are insufficient; the soul yearns to constantly and intimately share its secrets with the Beloved, even if the Beloved 'roams freely' in another realm.

Key takeaways

• The verse expresses the yearning for direct, continuous communion and secret-sharing with the Beloved (the soul or God).
• The mouse (symbolizing the body) on the riverbank desires an unending bond with the frog (symbolizing the soul) in the water.
• Mawlana transcends the story's characters here, directly voicing the restless yearnings of the mystic and lover.
• This longing suggests that the lover's relationship with God surpasses time-bound ritual obligations; true lovers are perpetually in prayer.
• The physical limitation (mouse on the bank) contrasts with the soul's freedom and unrestricted roaming (frog in the water).