Only by listening to the plaintive cry of the reed-flute
while reading Rumi's poem that I was truly able to understand it.
I invite you to press play on the audio below, read the verses
slowly, and let the song of the reed speak directly to your own inner fire.
Now listen to this reed-flute's deep lament,
About the heartache being apart has meant:
Since from the reed-bed they uprooted me,
My song's expressed each human's agony.
To share my deepest secret is what I seek with you:
When kept from their true origin, all yearn
For union on the day they can return.
Amongst the crowd, alone, I mourn my faith;
With good and bad I've learned to integrate.
That we were friends, each one was satisfied,
But none sought out my secrets from inside;
My deepest secret is this song I wail.
Body and ears can't penetrate the veil:
Body and soul are joined to form one whole,
But no one is allowed to see the soul.
It's fire, not just hot air, the reed-flute's cry;
If you don't have this fire, then you should die.
Love's fire is what makes every reed-flute pine,
Love's fervor lends potency to the wail of the flute.
The few who hear the truth the reed has sung
Have lost their wits so they can speak this tongue.
When you're with us, you're friend beyond compare.
While ordinary men on drops can thrive,
A fish needs oceans daily to survive.
The way the ripe must feel, the raw can't tell.
Unchain yourself, my son, escape its hold!
How long will you remain a slave of gold?
You've tried to fit the sea inside a jug;
Shells only grow pearls when they are content.
Be joyful, Love, for sweetest bliss is you.
Love wants its tail to be told to everyone.
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