Rubaei 5 By Hafez Shirazi

Analysis of the Rubai

This rubai is a beautiful example of Hafez's mystical and often paradoxical poetry. Here's a breakdown of the key themes:

The Physical and the Spiritual: The poet's initial action of clasping his beloved's waist is a physical act. However, the "something" he hopes to find within suggests a spiritual or metaphysical longing.
The Illusion of Possession: The poet believes there is something more to his beloved than meets the eye. This could be interpreted as a desire for a deeper connection or a search for spiritual meaning.
The Limitation of Physicality: When the beloved's waist is tied, it becomes clear that the poet's search for something more within is futile. This suggests that true fulfillment cannot be found in physical or material things.
The Paradox of Desire: The rubai highlights the paradoxical nature of human desire. The more we seek something, the more elusive it becomes.

Interpretation

This rubai can be interpreted in several ways:

A Love Poem: On a literal level, it can be seen as a love poem expressing the poet's longing for a deeper connection with his beloved.
A Mystical Allegory: On a mystical level, the beloved can represent the divine or a higher state of consciousness. The poet's search for something within can symbolize the human soul's quest for spiritual enlightenment.
A Commentary on Human Desire: The rubai can also be seen as a commentary on the futility of human desire. No matter how much we seek something, it may always remain out of reach.

Overall, this rubai is a meditation on the nature of desire, the limits of the physical world, and the human longing for something more. The poet's initial hope and subsequent realization of its futility create a sense of both longing and acceptance.