Project 365

Everything you see has its roots in the unseen world.
The forms may change, yet the essence remains the same.
Every wonderful sight will vanish, every sweet word will fade,
But do not be disheartened,
The Source they come from is eternal, growing,
Branching out, giving new life and new joy.
Why do you weep?
The Source is within you
And this whole world is springing up from it

— Jalal ad-Din Rumi

The thing I love about Rumi’s poems is the different interpretation and meaning that can be made on each of them.

This is one of the many examples. My first glance of this poem was this: it talks about the world we live in now (which is temporary and is therefore will vanish) and the afterlife, which is the eternal and unseen world.

After reading it over and over again, I can also say that the poem is a simple reminder that joy is not always there. It will vanish and fade into different forms that we may not like. Sorrow is unavoidable. But we shouldn’t be weeping for the vanishing joy, because it will eventually come again, giving new life and joy.

The third interpretation may well be about the death of a person. Each of us comes from one eternal Source, i.e. Allah SWT. Knowing that He is within us (i.e. we spend our time to be devoted to Him), we shouldn’t be weeping about someone’s death right? Because whoever dies will come back to the one and only Source.

Perhaps you have another interpretation? I’d love to know! 🙂