Bow Down, Rise Up

 

Bow Down, Rise Up | A Song of the Bamboo

The breeze stirs, the flowers smile,

Butterfly wings hum and play...

Waves rise, the river hurries down,

Your rustling is the thanks you pay...

Wrapped in ripples of the breeze,

Branch and leaf all dance and sway...

Why would you hold the gentle wind?

Your rustling is the thanks you pay...

The wind turns fierce, the wild birds cry,

Leaves tremble, branches twist and bend...

The river roars, ho, ho, it calls...

In the raging wind, you...

How will you stay until the end?

Wrapped in ripples of the breeze,

Branch and leaf all dance and sway...

You cannot hold the raging wind,

So bow your head, and give it way...

Pliant, you bear it all...

Your branches rise to touch the sky...

Node by node, you grow up strong...

Yet who would cut you down, and why?

For those who climb, higher and higher,

You become a rung, you give your all...

They rise on, ever higher,

And we step gladly down, so none will fall...

Your rustling is the thanks you pay,

Bow your head, give the wind its way,

For those who climb higher and higher,

You become a rung, a gift you lay...

The bamboo teaches that strength is not stiffness. In a gentle breeze, it sways and sings, turning the soft wind into music. In a violent storm, it bends low, yielding without breaking, and rises again once the wind has passed. Even when cut down, it gives itself willingly, becoming scaffolding that lifts others to heights they could never reach alone.

So it is with life. Meet kindness with grace, and let joy find its voice. Meet hardship with flexibility, not defiance. Bend, but do not break. And when you can, serve selflessly, so others may rise. Every storm passes, and those rooted deeply and generous in spirit stand tall, stronger and wiser.

The poem is turned into a meaningful and beautiful song; 

you can listen to Bow Down, Rise Up | A Song of the Bamboo.

Tell me how it is.

For the beautiful melody and wonderful song, special thanks to SUNO AI,

Sinhala version of this poem - සුනම්‍ය (pliant) is available at ගල්මල්-Coral.