Rumi’s Flute

a breath of spring air
in the midst of confusion
universal flute

Kim M. Russell, 2017

Image found on Wikipedia

My response to Carpe Diem #1168 flute

Chèvrefeuille has been waxing philosophical today, talking about existentialism as a background to the poem by Rumi he has shared, in which the poet is speaking about ‘existence’:

We are as the flute, and the music in us is from thee;
we are as the mountain and the echo in us is from thee.

We are as pieces of chess engaged in victory and defeat:
our victory and defeat is from thee, O thou whose qualities are comely!

Who are we, O Thou soul of our souls,
that we should remain in being beside thee?

We and our existences are really non-existence;
thou art the absolute Being which manifests the perishable.

We all are lions, but lions on a banner:
because of the wind they are rushing onward from moment to moment.

Their onward rush is visible, and the wind is unseen:
may that which is unseen not fail from us!

Our wind whereby we are moved and our being are of thy gift;
our whole existence is from thy bringing into being.

© Rumi

Chèvrefeuille explains that, in this poem, Rumi is describing our connection with the world around us, the subconscious connection between us all, in a beautiful way, using an ‘absurd’ comparison with chess pieces.