This music is fire, not air.

What it means

The reed's song is not breath but burning longing. Rumi goes on to say that whoever lacks this fire might as well not exist. Find what sets you on fire and let it sound.

The source

"This music is fire, not air." Rumi said it in Masnavi I, Prologue (the Song of the Reed). Translated by E. H. Whinfield, 1898.

"This plaint of the flute is fire, not mere air."

E. H. Whinfield, 1898, Masnavi I, Prologue (the Song of the Reed). Text read at archive.org.

Who said it

Rumi (1207–1273). Persian poet and Sufi teacher, born near Balkh and settled in Konya. His Masnavi, six books of rhyming couplets, opens with the song of a reed flute.

Questions

What does "This music is fire, not air." mean?

The reed's song is not breath but burning longing. Rumi goes on to say that whoever lacks this fire might as well not exist. Find what sets you on fire and let it sound.

Who said "This music is fire, not air."?

Rumi (1207–1273). Source: Masnavi I, Prologue (the Song of the Reed).

What is the original wording?

This plaint of the flute is fire, not mere air (E. H. Whinfield, 1898). Translated by E. H. Whinfield, 1898.

Is "This music is fire, not air." on a shirt?

Yes. We print it to order on our tees in 7 illustrated looks, from $44, with free US shipping.

"This music is fire, not air." (Rumi, Masnavi I, Prologue (the Song of the Reed), trans. E. H. Whinfield, 1898). https://spartansurfers.com/quotes/this-music-is-fire-not-air