The Cosmic Longing of Reunion: Rumi’s Metaphor of The Ney Flute & Reed Bed, and Its Relation to “Hiraeth”

The ney is crafted from the reed of the reed bed. This crafting symbolizes the soul’s earthly incarnation, shaped by the experiences and challenges of life. The ney produces a hauntingly beautiful melody, representing the soul’s journey of suffering and longing.

In Rumi’s metaphor, the ney flute represents the human soul, and the reed bed symbolizes the divine source or God. The soul, like the ney, experiences a profound separation from its spiritual origin upon entering the earthly realm. The reed bed, representing the divine unity, is left behind, and the soul finds itself separated and embodied in flesh and bones.

The melody of the ney expresses the soul’s yearning. And the music becomes a bridge between the earthly and the divine, gently inviting humans to connect with their inner worlds to remember their infinite connection to the source despite the illusion of seperation.

Rumi’s metaphor aligns with the concept of hiraeth in its essence. The ney’s melody mirrors the soul’s yearning for a spiritual home or unity with God, a connection that transcends the confines of the 3D experience. The separation from the divine, like the homesickness of Hiraeth, becomes a centra theme in the souls journey, to be a purely…