Question

Read the excerpt below and answer the question.

Tell me, O Swan, your ancient tale.
From what land do you come,
O Swan? To what shore will you fly?
Where would you take your rest,
O Swan, and what do you seek?

In at least one hundred words, what is the speaker asking the swan in this excerpt from “Tell me, O Swan, your ancient tale” by Kabir? What does he hope to know by asking this question?

Answer 1

The swan is a metaphor of our soul, which is timeless and ancient. The speaker wants to know where the swan is going, what is wants and what is the purpose of life. He requests our soul to go with him in knowing that God is us and the answer to “Who Am I” which was written on the wind of God’s impulse to realize Himself that blew over His being in creation’s beginning. And to attach to God deliberately on the way to know Him is the joy of loving God, similar as a bee that will cultivate and finish our sorrows by ending desire. With that connection, there’s no doubt regarding God and that forever exists.