M6:2674 — عشق مستسقیست مستسقی‌طلب / در پی هم این و آن چون روز و شب

Translation: Love is like one with dropsy, thirsty and seeking the thirsty; this one and that one are ever after each other, like day and night. Meaning: This verse asserts that true love is a state of reciprocal, insatiable thirst, where both the lover and the beloved are equally yearning and pursuing one another, rather than one being solely desirous and the other aloof.

This particular verse in the Masnavi, M6:2674, brings forth a profoundly significant insight into the nature of love, one that reveals a fundamental divergence between Mowlana and many other poets and mystics. Here, Mowlana declares: "ʿIshq mustasqīst mustasqī-talab" (Love is like one with dropsy, thirsty and seeking the thirsty). The term mustasqī is key to understanding this verse. A mustasqī is a patient suffering from an unquenchable thirst, perpetually drinking water even though they know it may ultimately lead to their demise. For the true lover, this condition is inescapable; a thirst that cannot be sated and often intensifies with union rather than diminishing.

However, Mowlana's profound point is that he does not attribute this mustasqī state solely to the lover. Instead, he states that "ʿIshq mustasqīst mustasqī-talab," meaning love itself is thirsty and seeks another who is thirsty. This implies that the beloved is also mustasqī. The beloved is equally thirsty for the lover, though their thirst may be more concealed. This perspective directly contradicts the common poetic tradition, which often portrays the lover as needy and supplicant, while the beloved remains aloof and coquettish (nāz). As Hafez famously puts it: "Miyān-i ʿāshiq o maʿshūq farq bisyār ast / Cho yār nāz namāyad shomā niyāz konīd" (Between lover and beloved there is much difference; when the beloved shows coquetry, you must show supplication). This view implies that the beloved is self-sufficient and devoid of love, as if love were a precious commodity possessed solely by the lover. Mowlana, however, decisively rejects this notion.

I contend that in Mowlana's school of thought, both parties in love are of the same essence, and the perfection of the lover lies in attaining the rank of the beloved. Love rides on two pillars: the love of the lover and the love of the beloved. As Mowlana states elsewhere: "ʿIshq-i ʿāshiq bā do sad bāng o nafīr / ʿIshq-i maʿshūqān nehān ast o satīr" (The lover's love is with two hundred cries and laments / The beloved's love is hidden and concealed). The beloved is also a lover of their lover, but their love remains unrevealed, hidden. Both are engaged in loving, and both are beloveds to one another. It is not a scenario where one is the player and the other a mere spectator, or where one is consumed by fire while the other remains cold and indifferent. This point is exceptionally prominent and vital in Mowlana's teachings.

The simile "Dar pey-i ham în o ān chon rūz o shab" (this one and that one are ever after each other, like day and night) further supports this interpretation. Day pursues night, and night pursues day; both ceaselessly and continuously follow one another. Neither can exist without the other. Mowlana himself elaborates: "Rūz bar shab ʿāshiq ast o muzṭarr ast / Chon bebīni shab bar ū ʿāshiqtar ast" (Day is in love with night and compelled by it / But if you truly look, night is even more in love with day). This suggests that beneath any apparent indifference, a deeper thirst lies concealed. This is a cosmic law that holds true for genuine and sincere loves, especially divine love. When a servant's love for God arises, it is itself a sign of grace and an intimation that has emanated from the Divine toward the servant; these two will ultimately find each other.

It is for this reason that the proverb "Zarq-o-ba tazdad ḥubbā" (visit intermittently to increase love) does not apply to sincere lovers. That rule applies to ordinary friendships where duality persists and boredom might arise. But when souls unite, weariness loses its meaning. "Hīchkas bā khwīsh zarq-o-ba namūd? / Hīchkas bā khwūd be nawbat yār būd?" (Has anyone ever visited themselves intermittently? Has anyone ever been a companion to themselves by turns?) One does not make appointments with oneself. The unity of the lover's and beloved's souls is so complete that there is no longer any distance to apply such a rule. "Dar dil-i maʿshūq jomle ʿāshiq ast / Dar dil-i ʿazrā hamīshe Vāmiq ast / Dar dil-i ʿāshiq be joz maʿshūq nīst / Dar miyān-eshān fāriq o mafrūq nīst" (In the beloved's heart is entirely the lover / In Azra's heart is always Vāmiq / In the lover's heart is naught but the beloved / Between them there is no separator nor separated). It is here that love demonstrates its miracle of unifying, making two hearts so singular that there is neither distance nor duality between them.

Key takeaways

• In Mowlana's view, love is a reciprocal and insatiable thirst encompassing both the lover and the beloved.
• The term mustasqī signifies the intensity and restlessness of this yearning, which even union does not quell.
• Mowlana rejects the common poetic tradition that portrays the beloved as aloof and self-sufficient.
• The simile of "day and night" emphasizes the continuous and mutual pursuit between lover and beloved, with hidden love on both sides.
• The true unity of the lover's and beloved's souls is such that the concepts of distance or duality between them cease to exist.