M6:2390 — از امید عود هر یک بسته طرف / اندرین کاروانسرا از بیم برف

Translation: In this caravanserai, for fear of snow, Each has taken a side, hoping for a return. Meaning: This verse conveys that while humans are temporarily gathered together in this transient world, each secretly nurtures a unique hope for return to their own origin and ultimate destination.

In this verse, Rumi unveils a fundamental truth about human existence and the nature of this world. Our world is a caravanserai – not an eternal abode, but a temporary lodging where all are gathered. These gatherings are often not by choice, but out of bim-e barf (fear of snow); meaning, the dread of life's coldness and hardships compels us into proximity. This 'snow' is a metaphor for any external, urgent circumstance that forces individuals, despite their inner differences, into temporary co-existence. This external pressure could stem from a universal crisis, or simply the necessities of living in this earthly realm.

But the crucial point lies in the second half of the verse: az omīd-e ʿowd har yak basteh taraf (each has taken a side, hoping for a return). Despite these forced and temporary associations, every soul, every human being, in the depths of their being, harbors a unique hope and longing for return to their origin and source. Each has 'taken their side'; that is, an inner covenant and a hidden will for a specific path and a unique destination. This hope of return is a force that shapes each individual's inner identity, demonstrating that humans are not merely a collection of bodies randomly placed together, but each carries a will and a yearning that draws them towards their ultimate return, their true self, and then to the Beloved.

I have previously noted that Rumi views the world as a place of commingling and admixture; like a cage that holds a crow and a nightingale side-by-side, or a prison that houses the 'pure and the prayer-less' together. This admixture is inevitable as long as the 'bond' of this cage has not been loosened and the 'path' not opened. But when the destined day arrives, and the opportunity for return becomes available, each bird will soar towards its own destination and return. Har goshāyad pīsh az īn bar showq-o yād / dar havā-ye jens-e khwod sūy-e maʿād (Each, before this, opens its wings with longing and remembrance / Towards its own kind, to the place of return). This 'longing' and 'remembrance' is the very 'hope of return' that preoccupies humans throughout their stay in the caravanserai of the world. This is the psychological essence of humanity: we cultivate what we think and what we desire in the depths of our being, and this inner motivation determines our ultimate path.

This insight reveals a stark contrast between Rumi and some Western existentialist philosophers. Rumi never laments 'loneliness' (tanhāyī), but rather speaks of 'separation' (jodāyī). In 'loneliness,' it is as if no companion ever existed; but in 'separation,' a true companion was there, and the hope of 'return' remains ever alive. Rumi's approach is anti-existentialist: in the caravanserai of the world, though we may temporarily appear alone and severed from our origin, we always have a destination and a Beloved awaiting our return. This world is a veil over a deeper reality in which every soul moves towards the essence whose memory it carries in its heart. This 'hope of return' is the hidden treasure each carries within the caravanserai, to soar towards it when the 'path' is opened.

Key takeaways

• The world is a temporary caravanserai, where humans are gathered by 'fear of snow' (external forces).
• Despite outwardly conforming to temporary coexistence, inwardly, each individual harbors a unique 'hope of return' to their true origin.
• This inner 'hope of return' and 'yearning' is the hidden motivation and will that defines each person's ultimate path and destination.
• The concept of 'separation' (jodāyī) in the Masnavi differs fundamentally from existentialist 'loneliness' (tanhāyī); separation implies distance from a true companion, with the hope of return always alive.
• Rumi asserts that the world is created flawlessly, and if we perceive crookedness, it stems from our own imperfections; thus, complaining about fate is misplaced, and we should focus solely on the yearning for return.