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4.21 AVERAGE
4.21 AVERAGE
reflective
fast-paced
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
"The body is a device to calculate the astronomy of the spirit. Look through that astrolabe and become oceanic."
My paperback of this book is absolutely destroyed from being read so often over the last 10 or so years, and, I expect, the next 10 or so. These are timeless words; there is no one that is human that these aren't relevant to.
My paperback of this book is absolutely destroyed from being read so often over the last 10 or so years, and, I expect, the next 10 or so. These are timeless words; there is no one that is human that these aren't relevant to.
If you like and enjoy this book, I do not want to take any of your joy away. Rather, I would like to bring attention to audiences that THIS IS NOT RUMI!!! This is Coleman Barks that you are enjoying. There is nothing wrong with enjoying this Coleman Barks work. However, there is something wrong with the image he has resurrected surrounding Rumi. He has Americanized, westernized, and contemporized entire poetry volumes that he passes on as Rumi's work rather than Rumi inspired pieces. Think of it as blackout poetry and Coleman Barks has filled in the black space. The tidbits, phrases, metaphors that Barks includes do not give enough justice to Rumi's actual, traditional works.
And his translations aren't just limited to books. Any inspirational quotes or Instagram posts you see that credit Rumi are more than likely Barks. He has pervaded both academic understandings of Rumi and the public's idea of him. While I am in full support of making works accessible and understandable to the public, this is beyond that. Barks is reviving Rumi in a different image than he lived, and if this were me, I would be haunting Barks from my grave.
Speaking as someone whose entire senior thesis was discussing Rumi, Coleman Barks is not someone qualified nor even able to read modern day Persian translations of classic Rumi to give an authentic translation. And yes, while it is difficult to give accurate translations of a work that is 800+ years old, historians and Persian translators work their hardest at sticking to the original script as much as possible. Refer to the 1 star reviews if you are looking for any more evidence that this is not Rumi, and in the comments for accurately-translated Rumi book options.
And his translations aren't just limited to books. Any inspirational quotes or Instagram posts you see that credit Rumi are more than likely Barks. He has pervaded both academic understandings of Rumi and the public's idea of him. While I am in full support of making works accessible and understandable to the public, this is beyond that. Barks is reviving Rumi in a different image than he lived, and if this were me, I would be haunting Barks from my grave.
Speaking as someone whose entire senior thesis was discussing Rumi, Coleman Barks is not someone qualified nor even able to read modern day Persian translations of classic Rumi to give an authentic translation. And yes, while it is difficult to give accurate translations of a work that is 800+ years old, historians and Persian translators work their hardest at sticking to the original script as much as possible. Refer to the 1 star reviews if you are looking for any more evidence that this is not Rumi, and in the comments for accurately-translated Rumi book options.
Not Rumi!
Coleman Barks is a con man. He did not speak farsi and claims to have translated Rumi's works. The erasure of Islam in Bark's "translation" is nauseating. Did this so the book would market better in the West. What a garbage move by a garbage person.
Before Rumi is a mystic, he is a Muslim scholar and faqih. But in this trash, he is secular and concerns himself only with "spirituality."
Do not buy or read anything by this dog Barks.
It's sad that his "translation" of Rumi is the most popular in English.
Coleman Barks is a con man. He did not speak farsi and claims to have translated Rumi's works. The erasure of Islam in Bark's "translation" is nauseating. Did this so the book would market better in the West. What a garbage move by a garbage person.
Before Rumi is a mystic, he is a Muslim scholar and faqih. But in this trash, he is secular and concerns himself only with "spirituality."
Do not buy or read anything by this dog Barks.
It's sad that his "translation" of Rumi is the most popular in English.
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
medium-paced
