M6:2738 — گر نبودی جذب موش گنده‌مغز / عیش‌ها کردی درون آب چغز

Translation: Had it not been for the pull of the foul-brained mouse (the material body), (the soul-frog) would have made merry within the water (of divine gnosis). Meaning: This verse conveys that if the earthly attractions and burdens of the material body were absent, the soul would be free to revel in the ocean of divine knowledge and attain its inherent joy.

This verse, without a doubt, stands as one of Mowlana’s most pivotal statements on the intricate relationship between the soul and the body, presented through the allegorical tale of the mouse and the frog. I have often reiterated that the Masnavi is a 'travelogue of the soul,' and this journey is fundamentally a narrative of separation from one’s homeland and the subsequent yearning for return to one’s Origin. In this particular couplet, Mowlana pinpoints the primary impediment to this reunion: the earthly body and its relentless attractions.

I interpret the 'foul-brained mouse' (موش گنده‌مغز) as none other than the material body, which, with its numerous enticements, ensnares our 'watery' and celestial soul. Our soul, akin to the frog in the narrative, belongs to the water; it is destined for the boundless ocean of divine gnosis (معارف الهی) and for a state of joyous ecstasy within it. Yet, this bodily tether, this base-minded mouse, constantly drags the soul down from the heavens of union to the earth of separation. Mowlana states elsewhere: 'The body is like a rope tied to the soul’s foot / It pulls it to the earth from the sky.' The body functions as a dead weight, preventing the soul’s natural flight. Just as the elephant in the story of Abraha refused to advance towards the Kaaba but eagerly strode towards Yemen, our soul behaves similarly: it possesses an inherent inclination towards the Kaaba of divine union, but the body pulls it towards the Yemen of worldly attachments.

Why does Mowlana employ the epithet 'foul-brained mouse'? Because this body not only occupies the soul with its superficial allurements but also with the thoughts and reasonings it generates from its material essence. The earthly mind, stemming from this body, instead of allowing the soul to revel in the waters of divine knowledge, leaves it wandering in the dark corridors of materialism and worldly concerns. Had it not been for this pull, this attraction, this 'influence' of the body, the soul would have freely rejoiced in the 'water of the frog'—that sacred, timeless, and placeless realm—and been utterly immersed in pure felicity.

This verse beautifully embodies the Masnavi’s spirit of jalāʾ al-aḥzān (the polishing of griefs); a profound joy that arises from the very depths of separation’s sorrow. Mowlana does not suggest that this joy is unattainable, but rather that if the obstacle were absent, this joy would manifest. And this 'if' offers us a pathway to remove the impediment. This is precisely where Mowlana profoundly diverges from Hafez. Hafez, in one of his verses, proclaims: 'When my wayward heart went to the locks of her hair / From that long journey, it has no resolve to return to its homeland.' Hafez finds a home in exile and contemplates no return. Mowlana, conversely, laments the separation from his Origin and deems returning home as the sole path. For Mowlana, this world is nothing but an exile, and our soul is a guest here, destined to return to its source.

Another crucial point is Mowlana's repeated emphasis on naqd-i ḥāl (the cash of the present moment). These joys and delights are not deferred promises for the future; they are 'cash' and readily available if the body permits. The mystic’s paradise is here and now, in this very instant, provided one can liberate oneself from the grip of this 'foul-brained mouse.' This is the 'cash slap' (سیلی نقد) that Mowlana seeks from the Beloved, because the Beloved's presence, even if it brings bitterness, is preferable to their absence accompanied by sweet, deferred promises. The soul yearns for presence, and this presence, when coupled with liberation from the body, brings immediate paradise here on earth.

Key takeaways

• The material body (the 'foul-brained mouse') hinders the soul's (the 'frog's') flight and joy in the ocean of divine gnosis.
• The soul's inherent nature is to soar and immerse itself in the sacred realm of union.
• This verse emphasizes that the soul's true joys are 'cash in hand' (naqd-i ḥāl) and should not be postponed to the future.
• Mowlana views separation from the true homeland as a pain that must culminate in reunion, contrasting with Hafez's perspective which sometimes finds a home in exile.
• The central theme of this verse is the conflict between the body's material desires and the soul's spiritual attractions.