Commentary on the Lion on the Flag

I am going to comment on this in response to your request for commentary on this poem.

Yours is the melody; we are but the flute

Yours is the the echo; we are but the mountain,

Rumi points to the true Nature of Life, emanating from the Divine.

We think we are in fact instrumental; yet we are but the instrument

out of which comes the melody of the flute; the mountain that serves

to reflect a sound; the sound is truly something, the mountain is passive

and serves again only as an instrument to convey the divine.

In victory and in defeat we are but chess pieces

You of noble virtues, decide our victory or defeat

We often attribute success or failure; victory or defeat to ourselves.

And yet, Rumi, says, we are but pawns on a chess board. And it is

the Divine that decides our victory or defeat. Note that although this may

seem as supporting total pre-destination; other parts of Molana's poetry

indicates that he believed in a delicate combination of Freewill and pre-destination,

or Fate. It is action and reaction: we choose to engage in action, that may be Freewill

but that will have consequences, that is the result of the action, or Fate.

Alone, we are nothing; You are the Self within our self,

As long as we are with Thee, we exist

One of the key themes within Rumi's poetry if the "Self within the self";

"jaan-e jaan", the life within life. This is not figurative but signifies a distinct

experience of an indweller in the body, an inner soul within our soul, within our being

that we can experience. The ability to perceive reality includes witnessing and

experiencing this inner Self. Thus, as long as we hold that experience of the Self within us and nothing overshadows it, we truly are alive.

We are Nothingness; for the source of our Being

Emanates from you, the Absolute Being, mortal-like

We [think we] are Lions, but only Lion[-emblems] on a flag

it is the wind which makes us flutter and feign attack!

Manifest is their attack, yet the wind is hidden,

He who is Unmanifest -- may he never be lost!

Your blessing to us is our breath; our being

You made it all -- All of our Being!

Our breath, our Being is Your blessing;

Our entire Being is created by You!

You allowed Nothingness

to taste the sweetness of Being

and let it fall in love with You!