Why I Repeatedly Read Rumi's Masnavis
By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam
1 June 2023
“Pick up at random
any verse or even a brief quote from Rumi's oeuvre. It'll appear increasingly
enlightening as you're also evolving with every passing day, nay, moment."
Egyptian Nobel
laureate Naguib Mahfouz
“Why is a classic creation read, viewed and
heard again and again?" Jack Limmer's classic question is forever
relevant. A classic piece of art and creativity never ceases to offer new
insights and interpretations.
A great book opens up a plethora of
meanings and new perspectives, every time you read it anew. Years ago, when I
read Jalaluddin Rumi's Masnavis, they were on my Persian syllabus at
university. My main objective at that time was to score high marks in Persian.
I succeeded in my primary objective, but realised that I learnt and
comprehended very little as a student.
When I read them again at leisure with no
burden of exams, I got new meanings and a much broader canvas. And just a month
ago, when I read the Masnavis all over again, I realised that what I
understood long ago was pretty humdrum. The Masnavis now appear more
enlightening. They'll appear even more illuminating when I'll read them again
after some time and I'll continue to read them till I breathe my last. Repeated
readings of Rumi's Masnavis made me realise that Rumi didn't like Hindustan and
Hindus in the beginning but with his own evolution, love and acceptance removed
his ethnic dislike. This is natural and has happened to all.
Even M K Gandhi was initially critical of
the Africans, but his views changed when greater awareness and a sense of
egalitarianism dawned on him. Any great piece of art is ageless and ever
pertinent. One draws new meanings as one grows old and becomes more mature.
V S Naipaul, himself a Nobel laureate in
literature, admitted that whenever he read Professor Bulwar Lytton's immortal
classic “The Last Days Of Pompeii, “he realised that his previous
readings were wanting on many counts.
David Lean saw Satyajit Ray's Pather
Panchali seventeen times and found seventeen new layers of cinematic as
well as social realities in his viewings.
A classic is never understood in its
totality when read, viewed or heard for the first time. The 'interpretational
gulf' and 'comprehensive empathy' always elude even the most brilliant readers,
viewers and listeners, let alone the average ones. To comprehend a truly great
piece of art and literature, one has to be on a par with the creator, which is
highly improbable. That's the reason, repeated readings and viewings are so
essential.
Moreover, a great book, a sublime symphony
and a masterly painting never reveal themselves at first blush. Leonardo Da
Vinci's La Gioconda (better known as Monalisa) lends itself to new
interpretations and findings every time it's analysed as a fresh piece of great
art. An individual's moods, circumstances and state of mind also play a vital
role in the comprehension of a work of art as time glides by.
George Orwell's 'Animal Farm'
becomes an allegory and a political satire only when you read it again and
again with advancing age and the real import of Jonathan Swift's 'Gulliver's
Travels' is understood when you read
it at an age when you begin to understand the latent meanings of life's myriad
vicissitudes and the yawning social differences.
The great Urdu poet Ahmad Faraz of Pakistan
found Muhammad Rafi's very soulful 'Kahin
Se Maut Ko Lao Ke Gham Ki Raat Kate' (written by Rajinder Krishna) as the
most morbidly depressing song, until he listened to it again in 2007 to call it
the finest song of the sub-continental film music. He passed away in 2008! A
classic never loses its charm and relevance. It encompasses the wisdom and
truth of all eras and even carries in its womb, the tangible possibilities of
times hither-to unheard and undreamt-of.
----
A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in
comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed
articles to the world's premier publications in several languages including
Persian.
URL:
https://newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/rumi-masnavi/d/129901
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