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bookifiction's review against another edition
4.0
I thoroughly enjoyed this selection of Rumi’s poetry. Having heard a lot about him and his works, and often reading snippets of his insightful poetry online, it was nice to finally indulge in an easy-to-read modern translation/interpretation of his works. The author has made Rumi accessible to all through a work that is stylistically contemporary and familiar; the reader is unhesitant in grasping the tempo of the poetic verse and rhyme. One thing I particularly valued in this work was the pages dedicated to the rise of nascent Sufism, that is, it’s relation to other faith traditions and the role it plays in the world today. Alongside this, we discover more about Rumi as a man - his upbringing, his family and the life-changing event that sparked his ineludible mission to discover the meanings of love and loss, particularly in the context of religion and God. The intimate, often unreserved nature of his poetry, prompts one to marvel at his genius. I see this version as a primer for his works and I am now inclined to read the rest in a more primal format, as oftentimes translated works lose the originality and the unique dimension of the untranslated verses. Who knows - perhaps I’ll just have to learn Persian to fully comprehend the words of one of the worlds greatest mystics.
Side note - amongst the selected poems was one coincidentally entitled ‘Quarantine’:
“There is no cure for the sickness of the heart
Quarantine all lovers, keep them apart
Affliction though it seems to be, love is God’s gift
Anchoring to beauty, the human soul adrift.”
❤️
Side note - amongst the selected poems was one coincidentally entitled ‘Quarantine’:
“There is no cure for the sickness of the heart
Quarantine all lovers, keep them apart
Affliction though it seems to be, love is God’s gift
Anchoring to beauty, the human soul adrift.”
❤️
eliza_v_paige's review against another edition
3.0
3.5
Still good poetry though I preferred the translation and edition by Coleman Banks.
Still good poetry though I preferred the translation and edition by Coleman Banks.
aqilahreads's review
2.0
there are so many rumi’s books out there but this is just one of them that doesnt really resonates with me well. i came across a comment saying there might be a reason that these poems were previously unseen HAHAHAHA but i have to agree!! :')
reading this felt like i was reading the same thing again & again which eventually made me lost interest to read further (but still managed to finish). i felt that some of his poems in this collection are targeted to certain people, hence, not everyone would be able to understand, resulting to doing a further research.
i do recommend his other books! the ones that i enjoyed are the purity of desire and the rumi daybook if you would like to explore more on rumi’s works.
reading this felt like i was reading the same thing again & again which eventually made me lost interest to read further (but still managed to finish). i felt that some of his poems in this collection are targeted to certain people, hence, not everyone would be able to understand, resulting to doing a further research.
i do recommend his other books! the ones that i enjoyed are the purity of desire and the rumi daybook if you would like to explore more on rumi’s works.
doomluz's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
3.0
readerreportcards's review
5.0
I love Rumi's work- madness, life, love, faith, wine, passion, relationships...he covers it all! These poems were new and beautifully translated. I loved the forward that describes how this book came to be.
lavalentinois's review
4.0
These poems by Rumi are incredible. They are in fact much more than poems, they are feelings. I enjoyed them very much.
I will not be writing a larger/more in depth review since I don't feel the need to nor do I find myself competent to do so.
I will not be writing a larger/more in depth review since I don't feel the need to nor do I find myself competent to do so.
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