Film-maker,fashion designer and painter Muzaffar Ali on why Rumis poem from The Mathnawi has a hold on himMy days are spent in the pleasurable company of many awe-inspiring poets. Poetry is soulful and invigorating for me. I am essentially a film-maker and a painter but my creativity stems from Sufism,and being an avid reader of Sufi poems,my classic has to be one of those. An all-time classic for me is Jalaluddin Rumis first poem in the book The Mathnawi. It encompasses the gamut of human feelings and sums up the essence of life. It was a decade ago when I first came across the poem; it forged an instant connection with me. Over the years,the bond has chartered new meanings and become more relevant in my life. The poem delves into the story of a reed flute which,after being separated from the soil,wails in the sorrow of its separation from the soul. Each note which flows from the flute is the soulful sound of its agonising lament. The story is universal and touches all those who have suffered such separations in life; and it also inspires those who survive on fringes of whatever is left of their roots. With every step towards modernity,a fraction of the past becomes blurred and there is a constant search to revisit it. The story is the same in every culture and society.On studying the poem from a literary point of view; one comes across a musical rhythm which is unique and the choice of musical words is exquisite. The theme stirs ones soul,the musical overtones and undertones of the poem make it a relaxing read.
