M6:2736 — چغز جان در آب خواب بیهشی / رسته از موش تن آید در خوشی

Translation: The frog-like soul, in the water of unconscious sleep, / Released from the mouse of the body, comes into joy.

Meaning: This verse depicts the soul, like a frog immersing itself in water, entering a profound, unconscious slumber. In this state, it sheds the constraints of the body, represented by a mouse, and attains true spiritual joy and felicity.

This verse presents one of Rumi's profound allegories, found in the sixth book of the Masnavi, dissecting the intricate relationship between the soul and the body. The tale of the mouse and the frog, in essence, is a parable for the eternal struggle between the soul (jan) and the physical body (tan). I have consistently stressed that the Masnavi is the soul's travelogue—a narrative commencing with separation and culminating in union. This particular verse vividly illustrates the soul's relentless yearning to return to its origin.

Here, the 'frog-like soul' (choghz-e jan) is a metaphor for the spirit; though confined to the earthly realm, it is inherently of the essence of water and the celestial. This soul yearns for the 'water of unconscious sleep' (āb-e khwāb-e bihoshī). This 'unconscious sleep' does not denote oblivion or unawareness, but rather a state of mystical trance and self-forgetfulness (bīkhodī). It is a condition where the soul transcends the consciousness bound by the five senses and soars into 'heavenly dreams' and unseen realms. This is precisely the point where the soul liberates itself from the heavy cage of the body and attains absolute felicity.

Yet, this liberation is far from effortless. The 'mouse of the body' (moosh-e tan) symbolizes the physical frame and its material desires, perpetually dragging the soul back to earth. Rumi explicitly states elsewhere: "The body is like a rope tied to the soul's foot / pulling it down from the heavens to the ground." This body acts as a weight, tethered to the light-winged soul. Each time the soul attempts to fly and immerse itself in the joy of bodilessness, the mouse of the body pulls it back with the rope of material and instinctive needs. "How many bitter pangs the soul tastes from this tug-of-war!" These bitter experiences are the direct consequence of this ceaseless struggle.

Rumi unequivocally declares: "All heaviness and lassitude come from the body / while the soul, in its lightness, is all about flying." The soul is intrinsically light-spirited (sabok-ruh) and destined for flight, its true homeland not this earthly domain. This world is a state of 'alienation' (ghorbat), and the soul here is a 'stranger' (gharīb) and a traveler. This is why the Masnavi, from its very inception, "narrates of separations" and aims to awaken this sense of alienation and the ardent longing to return to its 'own origin.' This contrasts sharply with Hafez's perspective: "Since my wandering heart journeyed to the curls of her tresses / From that long journey, it has no intention of returning home." Hafez, at times, finds this material world a home due to the Beloved's beauty, while Rumi speaks of the ultimate homeland. These two outlooks, though both authentic and unique, are distinct and yield different fruits.

Therefore, the 'joy' (khoshī) mentioned at the end of the verse is the transcendent happiness of liberation from the confines of time, space, and the physical body. It is the joy the soul experiences when it dissolves into the ocean of self-forgetfulness and connects with its divine source. This perennial struggle between the soul and the body, and the soul's unceasing desire to break free from the bodily mouse, forms the core of many of Rumi's teachings; teachings that speak not only of separation but also of the hope for an imminent union.

Key takeaways

• The soul (frog-like soul) seeks liberation from the body's constraints (mouse of the body) to attain joy and union.
• "Unconscious sleep" refers to a state of mystical trance where the soul is freed from worldly consciousness.
• The body acts as a tether, pulling the light-spirited soul to earth, preventing its flight into the celestial realms.
• Ultimate joy is the result of transcending material desires and connecting with the unseen world.
• This struggle between soul and body is central to the Masnavi's "complaint of separations" and the longing for its true homeland.