M6:659 — این دو انبازند مطرب با شراب / این بدان و آن بدین آرد شتاب

Translation: These two are partners, the musician and the wine; this one hastens towards that, and that one towards this. Meaning: This verse describes the reciprocal relationship between wine and musician in the journey of mystical intoxication, suggesting that sometimes the wine of truth leads one to the spiritual guide (musician), and at other times the guide leads one to the wine of divine love.

This verse from the Mathnawi, M6:659, continues Rumi's profound discussion on the nature of language and the homonymy of words like 'wine' (شراب/می), which carry vastly different meanings in the realms of form and essence. I have often emphasized Rumi's keen insight into the pitfalls of linguistic ambiguity.

As we have explored, Rumi, after likening his Mathnawi to the Quran – capable of guiding some while misleading others – delves into this very issue of shared terminology. He warns, 'Beware, for when the mystic speaks of wine (می), for him, an object (like ordinary wine) that is non-existent to his perception, cannot be the subject of his discourse.' For the mystic, that which is ma'dūm (non-existent in a higher sense) holds no place in their speech or attention. If your comprehension extends only to 'satanic wine' (material alcohol), how then can you grasp 'Rahmanic wine,' that pure, divine nectar? Here, Rumi alludes to two distinct types of intoxication: that which comes from the wine of truth and that which comes from the wine of the body. As Sa'di beautifully puts it, 'O cupbearer, give a dervish-like draught to the sober companions; leave the madman to his own state, for this intoxication of ours is not from wine.'

This verse, 'These two are partners, the musician and the wine; this one hastens towards that, and that one towards this,' precisely addresses this duality. In the mystical realm, the musician (مطرب) and the wine (شراب) are two sides of the same coin, partners in a singular process. Sometimes, the intoxication derived from the 'wine of truth' leads one towards the 'musician of truth' (the spiritual guide), and at other times, it is the 'musician of truth' who draws the seeker to drink from the 'wine of truth.' Rumi suggests that the path to this intoxication is inconsequential; whether it begins with an individual's personal experience of a celestial rapture that pulls them towards the divine guide, or whether one first achieves intoxication through the breath of the guide and is then hastened towards the wine of truth – both paths ultimately converge at the same destination: union and self-abandonment.

The subsequent verse clarifies this further: 'Those deeply parched (پرخماران) are nourished by the musician's breath, and the musicians lead them towards the tavern.' Those immersed in the ardent longing and 'hangover' of divine love are quenched by the breath of the musician (the spiritual master), who in turn guides them to the tavern of divine love and presence. This reciprocal bond illustrates that neither element is superior to the other; both are integral to the process of intoxicating and guiding seekers. It is a two-way dynamic where both the wine-drinker and the wine-pourer, each in their own way, lead the other towards a deeper experience of unity and self-loss.

Key takeaways

• Mystical intoxication follows two main paths: sometimes the wine of truth leads to the musician (guide), and sometimes the musician guides to the wine of truth.
• The musician and the wine are partners in Rumi's mysticism; each complements the other.
• Rumi distinguishes between 'satanic wine' (material) and 'Rahmanic wine' (divine); only the mystic can grasp the latter.
• Verbal ambiguity, such as with the word 'wine,' can lead to misguidance unless its inner, true meaning is understood.
• Seekers of divine love are nourished by the breath and words of the spiritual master (musician) and guided towards the tavern of truth.