M6:2004 — دمدمهٔ این نای از دم‌های اوست / های هوی روح از هیهای اوست

Translation: The hum of this reed comes from His breaths, The soul’s clamor from His stirrings. Meaning: This verse explains that every sound emanating from human existence originates from the Divine breath and inspiration, and the soul's uproar is but a manifestation of God's excitement and stirring.

This verse from the sixth book of the Mathnawi, which I refer to as the “hum of the reed,” is one of Rumi’s most profound and eloquent allegories for the truth of human existence. It shares an indissoluble link with the opening verses of the Mathnawi, particularly the song of the reed. Rumi views humanity as a reed; a hollow instrument whose sound does not originate from itself, but from the breath of a hidden player. The “hum of this reed,” which is the pleasant melody or sometimes the fervent lament of human beings, “comes from His breaths”—that is, from the sacred breath and grace of the Divine. In essence, this verse states that it is the primordial Spirit that breathes into the reed-body of humanity, and every sound that emanates from this reed is a sign of that infinite breath.

This allegory portrays humanity as a mediator, not the absolute creator of its own being. We are like a mountain whose echo comes from another, and like a reed whose melody comes from another. Rumi himself states elsewhere: “We are like the reed, and the melody within us is from You / We are like the mountain, and the echo within us is from You.” This indicates that all the fervor and clamor of the soul—all its yearnings, laments, and even its joys—originate from “His stirrings,” meaning from the excitations and inspirations of the Absolute Being that moves the soul.

However, a subtle yet crucial point is embedded here, to which Rumi alludes in other verses (such as “The breath the reed-player blew into the reed / Is proportionate to the reed, not to the player”): though the breath is from Him, the quality of the melody that emerges also depends on the capacity and structure of this very “reed.” Humanity is a vessel through which Divine grace flows, and this vessel imparts a specific shape to that grace. The prophet, the mystic, and the artist—each is a reed with its own characteristics, and the Divine breath manifests uniquely in each. Therefore, the reed is not absolutely self-acting, but plays a vital role in shaping the message. This is the very formlessness of the reed, which, upon receiving the breath, takes on the form of a melody. The formless breath of God, in the form of the human reed, transforms into a formal melody. This melody carries the taste of sugar and the scent of loyalty, for it emanates from a reed-existence that, through its connection with the Soul of souls, has itself become sweet and fragrant.

Key takeaways

• Humanity is an instrument and conduit for the Divine breath, not the absolute originator of its own sound.
• Every expression of the soul (fervor, lament, yearning) has its roots in a Divine outpouring.
• Though the breath originates from God, its quality and manifestation depend on the human being's capacity and existential form.
• The hollow nature of the reed (symbolizing humanity) is a virtue, enabling it to receive boundless Divine grace.