The Essential Rumi, New Expanded Edition by Jalal al-Din Rumi Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Essential Rumi, New Expanded Edition
Book Review: Quite frankly, the most beautiful book I have ever read.
Summary: 5 Stars
At the risk of cliche, if you only buy a single
book this year, please do yourself a favor and
make it "The Essential Rumi." Rumi is for
Americans who think that Islam is all about harems
and terrorists. A sultry serenade to God, Rumi's
poetry explodes in the soul with a beautiful force
that tears down the wall between the individual
and the Divine. Jelaluddin Rumi was a 13th
Century Sufi mystic, the founder of the so-called
"whirling dervishes", whose inner exploration
allowed him to attain a rare level of enlightenment
and connection with God. His poems resonate with
truth and wisdom so earnest that it is impossible
not to be swept away on a tide of pure spiritual
longing and fulfillment. This is a book for
anyone who loves poetry, religion, God, or love.
And if you don't love these things now, you will
by the time you finish "The Essential Rumi."Book Review: Reviewing the book, not the editor/translator
Summary: 4 Stars
I love Rumi and I like this book very much. I note that the negative 'reviews' here are not actually reviews of the book, but rather criticisms of the editor/'translator'. I have no opinion about how one ought to go about creating and presenting translations of poetry, and won't offer one. All I know is that regardless of how these versions of Rumi's poetry came to be, they are wonderful and capture the spiritual insights, the beauty and the charm of Rumi's work.Book Review: Rumi Torrential and On Fire
Summary: 5 Stars
I have never read anyone who captures the exuberant ecstasy of Rumi's spiritual outpourings better than Coleman Barks. There are no other versions of Rumi's expanded collection of poems that even come close. The Barks' translations fly off the page like rockets and into one's heart page after page and stay in the mind like the most glorious of diamonds. One can pick up this volume and turn to any page for a shot of verbal adrenaline, for Rumi talks about everything under the sun and is completely free of puritanical shame - so very refreshing.
Rumi's great ability as a teacher and storyteller is that he never seems to talk down to the listener. In fact, he writes as if the listener is on the same level and can ignite the identical inner spark that Rumi has through some kind of spontaneous combustion. Perhaps this is one of the essential messages he has to offer. But his words are not for the academic philistines who are more in love with the letter of the law of translation than its spirit and who lack the understanding and poetic sensibility to make Rumi's words leap off the page in the same way that Barks does.
I gave a copy of this book to a dear friend as a Christmas present at our favorite Italian restaurant and my friend was thrilled. We shared Rumi's poems at the dinner table and everyone within listening distance became enthralled, included the restaurant manager who treated our little dinner party to free coffee and desserts.
If you are new to Rumi I would suggest that you start here and fill out his academic background later. Most libraries also have the Barks' translations.
I'd also like to see a few hundred copies of Rumi circulated at our nation's capitol, since it's hard to imagine anyone there having read something even as basic and moral as "A Thousand and One Nights," either as a child or by their parents, to expand their perspective on the world as an adult - and unfortunately this contracted and limited view of life really really shows and the rest of us have to suffer for it... Free copies for everyone paid out of the military budget.
"Let the beauty you love, be what you do." - Rumi
Book Review: Some illumination
Summary: 3 Stars
As a Persian I felt I can write some illuminating remarks here. I came to this verse from Mowlanaa Rumi in this book: "Let the beauty of what you do be what you love" and I looked a lot for the original poetry. It seems to be sth like this originally:
Today we are drunken(=in love) like everyday
Dont start worrying and start playing instead
For whom the beloved's (God's) face is prayer-niche
There are a hundred ways of prayer. (seeing God's face in everything...Everything is one.)
and Barks' translation:
Today, like every other day, we wake up empty and frightened. Don't open the door to the study and begin reading. Take down a
musical instrument
Let the beauty we love be what we do.
There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.
you see they are quite different and the traslation seems to be distorted.
Book Review: Taste that spiritual wine
Summary: 5 Stars
Full of intoxication of God. A beautiful book for those on the spiritual journey.