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4.21 AVERAGE
4.21 AVERAGE
emotional
I lost track of how many page corners I turned down in this book. Truly wonderful, timeless wisdom.
Although this isn't the version I read, I want to add it to my list because I read so many of his poems. For me, it was sometimes disappointing that most of the poetry was talking about finding God, the romantic aspect of it was a lot better for me to follow.
Rumi might be one of my new favorite poets. I admit I had trouble clicking with his poetry earlier, but after I read the Penguin collection of Sufi poetry it all clicked. I like Coleman Barks's adaptations of Rumi, they really flowed, played, jumped and sang honestly. Rumi's imagery and ideas were also very intuitive for me, yet there was a difficulty, play and obtuseness that I really admire (a characteristic shared by some of my other favorite authors like Italo Calvino). I will definitely keep Rumi on my shelf and read whenever I feel down. I could put so many different lines from Rumi in this review but I'll settle on this passage:
"A great mutual embrace is always happening
between the eternal and what dies,
between essence and accident."
That stuck out to me because it speaks to Sufi mysticism (union with the eternal and divine), but also the contradictory seemingly impossible nature of it, the union of essence and accident.
"A great mutual embrace is always happening
between the eternal and what dies,
between essence and accident."
That stuck out to me because it speaks to Sufi mysticism (union with the eternal and divine), but also the contradictory seemingly impossible nature of it, the union of essence and accident.
Coleman Barks went to Philadelphia to visit The Bawa Muhaiyaddeen, a Sri Lankan Muslim sheik. The Bawa told him that his life's work would be translating the poems of Jelalludin Rumi. Barks took The Bawa's advice to heart, and started down the path that would find Barks becoming the truest, most inspired translator of Rumi's work. I have read many different translators' work, and none of them, not even Stephen MItchell, can begin to compare with Barks.
It is impossible to study Sufism and not include a study of Rumi. He is one of the most revered Muslim poets, and with good reason. His work taps into the deepest desire of a human's heart: to be one with the Beloved. Here is a small selection, that was read at a friend's funeral:
The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you.
Don't go back to sleep.
You must ask for what you really want.
Don't go back to sleep.
People are going back and forth across the doorsill
where the two worlds touch.
The door is round and open.
Don't go back to sleep.
Rumi addresses all of the fundamental dilemmas of everyday life, from falling in love to doing chores with such sensitivity, such brillance, and such an open heart, that even though he was born in 1207, his work remains fresh and new today.
It is impossible to study Sufism and not include a study of Rumi. He is one of the most revered Muslim poets, and with good reason. His work taps into the deepest desire of a human's heart: to be one with the Beloved. Here is a small selection, that was read at a friend's funeral:
The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you.
Don't go back to sleep.
You must ask for what you really want.
Don't go back to sleep.
People are going back and forth across the doorsill
where the two worlds touch.
The door is round and open.
Don't go back to sleep.
Rumi addresses all of the fundamental dilemmas of everyday life, from falling in love to doing chores with such sensitivity, such brillance, and such an open heart, that even though he was born in 1207, his work remains fresh and new today.
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Absolutely beautiful love poems. 5 stars on those.
At times it got too religious for my taste, which I already knew going into it. Beautifully written verses tho.
At times it got too religious for my taste, which I already knew going into it. Beautifully written verses tho.
hopeful
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
If you’re like me you’ve been seeing Rumi quotes floating around the Internet forever. And, if you’re like me, you had no real idea who Rumi actually is or was. Well, here’s the quick rundown: 1) He’s a he! Let’s start there. I always thought he was a she, 2) He was a 13th century Persian poet originally from Greater Khorasan, fled invading Mongol armies, and settled in Konya, Turkey, 3) He met Shams-e Tabrizi and thought of him as a spiritual sounding board and wrote a ton of incredible epic poems about soulful expression, love verses filled with yearning and desire, anecdotes, life lessons, moral stories, and even satirical tales. This is a book of his work and, if you’re like me, some poems will bounce off your tin can shell making zero impact and others will penetrate your heart deeper than you ever thought possible.