M1:2583 — هر دو بر هم می‌زنند از تحت و اوج / بر مثال آب دریا موج موج

Rumi is here building on the imagery of two seas that meet but do not mingle, a concept drawn from the Quran (Surah Al-Rahman 55:19-20: «مَرَجَ الْبَحْرَيْنِ يَلْتَقِيَانِ بَيْنَهُمَا بَرْزَخٌ لَا يَبْغِيَانِ» — 'He has let free the two seas meeting together; between them is a barrier which they do not transgress'). He has just described one sea as sweet and bright, and the other as bitter and dark. This couplet, M1:2583, visualizes the interaction of these two distinct entities. They are not static; they are in constant motion, 'clashing' against each other from their lowest depths ('تحت') to their highest points ('اوج').

The metaphor of 'wave upon wave' is crucial. It suggests a dynamic, continuous interaction rather than a static separation. While the Quranic verse emphasizes the 'barrier' (برزخ) that prevents them from transgressing, Rumi's interpretation here focuses on their meeting and the apparent conflict or clashing that occurs at this boundary. This isn't necessarily a destructive conflict, but a vibrant, energetic interplay. In the subsequent verses, Rumi clarifies that this 'clashing' manifests as the mixing of souls in peace and war, where waves of peace remove grudges and waves of war overturn affections. Thus, the physical imagery of ocean waves serves as a powerful analogy for the complex, often contradictory, interactions within the human soul and between different spiritual states.