M6:69 — باد که را ز آب جو چون وا کند / آب یک‌رنگی خود پیدا کند

Translation: When the wind clears the straw from the stream's water, the water reveals its own oneness. Meaning: This verse illustrates how, when superficial obstacles and forms (like straw) are set aside, the pure, unified truth of meaning (the water's oneness) becomes apparent, signifying the transition from mere words to profound essence.

This verse presents a profound hermeneutical insight that Rumi offers into his own magnum opus. Earlier in the Masnavi (M6:67-68), Rumi had described his work as "an island in the sea of meaning," a place where the thirsty could come to stroll and be quenched. Yet, with this verse, he transcends that metaphor, asserting that the Masnavi is not merely an island in the sea, but the sea itself, provided we possess the discerning eye.

The "straw" (kāh) in this beyt symbolizes the words, forms, and outward appearances of discourse; those superficial elements that initially obscure the surface of meaning's water. Speech, much like chaff or debris floating on the water, can act as a barrier to perceiving the depth and clarity beneath. However, this straw possesses no independent existence; its being is accidental and superficial.

The "wind" (bād) here is the force that clears these obstacles away. This wind can signify spiritual insight, divine attraction, or the sincere endeavor of the seeker to move beyond the apparent. Much like the "breath" (dam) blown into the reed, the wind is formless, yet it displaces forms and opens the way for formlessness itself. This wind sweeps away the dust of words, allowing the naked truth of meaning to emerge.

The phrase "the water reveals its own oneness" (āb yak-rangi khod peydā konad) refers to the clear, undifferentiated, and unified reality of meaning. This is the very "sea of meaning" (bahr-e maʿnawī) in which the Masnavi is anchored. When the wind clears the straw, what is revealed is not water mixed with colors and shapes, but pure, boundless water. This "oneness" is an expression of the existential unity (Tawhid-i Wujudi) hidden behind the multiplicity of phenomena.

Rumi repeatedly emphasizes that words, for him, are an inescapable means, but not the end. When he declares, "I will shatter letter, word, and sound / So that without these three, I may breathe with you," he is articulating this very truth. He desires to transcend the limitations of language and establish an unmediated connection with the Beloved and with the soul of the listener. This verse teaches us that when engaging with the Masnavi, one must not linger merely on the surface of words; rather, with the power of perception and heart, one must pass beyond this "straw" to reach the "water's oneness" and its pristine meaning. This is a fundamental hermeneutical lesson from Rumi himself on how to understand his work: to gaze at the moon, not the finger pointing to it.

Key takeaways

• The words of the Masnavi, like straw on water, are a veil that must be transcended to reach pure meaning.
• The wind symbolizes spiritual insight or the seeker's resolve, clearing superficial forms to reveal deeper truth.
• This verse emphasizes that the Masnavi is not merely a window to meaning, but the boundless ocean of truth itself.
• The 'oneness of water' is a metaphor for existential unity (Tawhid) and pure reality, hidden behind multiplicity.
• Deep understanding of the Masnavi requires moving from form (words) to meaning (truth); from the finger to the moon.