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The Tale of the Reed, the opening section of the Masnavi, narrates the separation of the lover, symbolized by the reed, from the reed-bed, its original home in the divine presence of God. Scholars often regard this prelude as a summary of the major themes that recur throughout the Masnavi, particularly separation, longing, and reunion with the beloved. Because of its central role in Nay Namih, the reed becomes an important symbol for understanding both the poem and Rumi’s mystical thought. The reed symbolizes the soul’s painful separation from its source and its desire to return to divine unity. At the same time, the image of the reed reflects Rumi’s personal spiritual experiences, especially his relationship with Shams of Tabriz. Through poetry, Rumi transforms this experience into a universal meditation on love, loss, and transcendence. In Nay Namih, the lament of the reed expresses both ecstatic longing and suffering.
Afroz Jahan. “An Urge for Reunion: Spiritual Longing in Rumi’s Song of Reed.” The Criterion: An International Journal in English, vol. 17, no. 2, Apr. 2026, pp. 946–962. DOI, https://doi.org/10.66376/criterion.v17.n2.60.
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