🇬🇧

Come to the orchard in Spring. by Rumi — Analysis & Translation

2 min read English

Original Poem

Come to the orchard in Spring. There is light and wine, and sweethearts in the pomegranate flowers. If you do not come, these do not matter. If you do come, these do not matter.

Translation (English)

Go to the orchard in spring. There's light, wine, and lovers in the pomegranate flowers. If you don't go, these things don't matter. If you do go, these things still don't matter.

About the Poet

Rumi (13th century)

Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī, known as Rumi, was a 13th-century Sufi mystic and poet. He was born in 1207 and is best known for his profound spiritual and mystical poetry. Rumi's works have had a lasting impact on Sufism and Persian literature, and he is considered one of the most popular poets worldwide.

Read more on Wikipedia →

Historical Context

Literary Form
Quatrain
When Written
13th century
Background
This poem reflects Rumi's mystical philosophy, emphasizing the insignificance of worldly pleasures without spiritual presence. It is part of his broader body of work that explores themes of love, spirituality, and the divine.

Sources: https://www.bradanpress.com/2017/11/30/poem-excerpt-come-to-the-orchard-in-spring/, https://onbeing.org/poetry/a-great-wagon/, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rumi

Detailed Explanation

This poem by Rumi invites the reader to an orchard in spring, a place filled with light, wine, and the presence of lovers amidst the beauty of pomegranate flowers. However, Rumi introduces a paradoxical idea: whether or not one visits the orchard, the presence or absence of these pleasures is irrelevant. This reflects a deeper philosophical view that external pleasures and beauty are insignificant without the presence of a spiritual or beloved connection. Rumi often explores the theme of divine love and the idea that material pleasures are fleeting and secondary to spiritual fulfillment. The poem's simplicity belies its profound message about the nature of true presence and the essence of spiritual companionship, suggesting that the true value lies not in the physical setting or material offerings, but in the inner state of being and connection with the divine or beloved.

Themes

  • Spiritual presence
  • Insignificance of material pleasures
  • Divine love

Literary Devices

  • Imagery: The poem uses vivid images of an orchard, light, wine, and flowers to create a sensory experience.
  • Paradox: The poem presents the idea that whether or not one visits the orchard, the pleasures do not matter, highlighting a deeper truth.
  • Symbolism: The orchard and its elements symbolize worldly pleasures and the spiritual presence.

Word Dictionary

Word Meaning Translation Transliteration
orchard garden with fruit trees a place where fruit trees are grown or-chard
sweethearts lovers people who are in love sweet-harts
pomegranate a type of fruit a fruit with a tough outer skin and many seeds inside pom-e-gran-ate
matter be important to have significance or importance mat-ter

Want to analyze your own poem?

Paste any poem in 180+ languages and get an instant AI-powered analysis with translation, explanation, poet biography, and literary devices.

Try Poetry Explainer — Free