The Soul of Rumi: A New Collection of Ecstatic Poems

The Soul of Rumi: A New Collection of Ecstatic Poems
by Coleman Barks

The Soul of Rumi: A New Collection of Ecstatic Poems
List Price: $17.99
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions

Buy The Soul of Rumi: A New Collection of Ecstatic Poems at Amazon.com
(Click here)
Buy this book at online book store in your country
Canada | UK | Germany | France

Book Summary Information

Author: Coleman Barks
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2002-09-01
ISBN: 0060604522
Number of pages: 448
Publisher: HarperOne
Product features:

Book Reviews of The Soul of Rumi: A New Collection of Ecstatic Poems

Book Review: Poetry of the soul to the soul!
Summary: 5 Stars

Jelaluddin Rumi's (1207-73) poetry praises man, love and the universe. The aim of his poetry is to transform, bring awareness and celebrate the human incarnation and the mystery of love.
The main message in these forty sections of poetry collected here is to do things from one's soul, as it is then that one can feel a river moving in oneself.

Joyce Akesson, author of Majnun Leyla: Poems about Passion and The Invitation

Summary of The Soul of Rumi: A New Collection of Ecstatic Poems

"Inside a lover's heart there's another world, and yet another."

Rumi's delightful yet profound poems have inspired countless people throughout the centuries, and Coleman Barks's exquisite renderings of the thirteenth-century Persian mystic are widely considered the definitive versions for our time. Barks's translations capture the inward exploration and intensity that characterize Rumi's poetry, making this unique voice of mysticism and desire contemporary while remaining true to the original poems. In these pages you will encounter the essence of Sufism's insights into the experience of love in all its varieties, life's mystery and wonder, and the nature of both humanity and God.

While Barks's stamp on this collection is clear, it is Rumi's unique vision and voice that leap off the page with a rapturous power that leaves readers breathless. These poems express our deepest yearning for the transcendent connection with the source of the divine: There are passionate outbursts about the torment of longing for the beloved and the sweet delight that come from union; stories of sexual adventures and of loss; poems of love and fury, sadness and joy; and quiet truths about the beauty and variety of human emotion. For Rumi, soul and body and emotion are not separate but are rather part of the great mystery of mortal life, a riddle whose solution is love.

Above all else, Rumi's poetry exposes us to the delight that comes from being fully alive, urging us always to put aside our fears and take the risk of discovering our core self.

"No one knows what makes the soul wake up so happy! Maybe a dawn breeze has blown the veil from the face of god."

These fresh, original translations magnificently convey Rumi's insights into the human heart and its longings with his signature passion and daring, focusing on the ecstatic experience of the inseparability of human and divine love. The match between Rumi's sublime poetry and Coleman Barks's poetic art are unequaled, and here this artistic union is raised to new heights.


When Rumi was born in Afghanistan in 1207, it was a time of tremendous political turmoil in the Near East. Paradoxically, it was also a time of "brilliant mystical awareness," writes translator Coleman Barks in The Soul of Rumi. This brilliance shines through in every passage, as Barks celebrates the ecstatic nature of Rumi's poetry. Barks (The Essential Rumi) has been given much credit for leading modern Westerners to this astounding poet. His sensitivity to the reader is evidenced in how he organizes the poetry according to themes. Since Rumi is often quoted at public gatherings, such as weddings and memorial services, this makes referencing especially easy. In the section entitled "When Friend Meets Friend," readers find the poem "The Soul's Friend":
The most living moment comes when those who love each other meet each other's eyes and in what flows between them then. To see your face in a crowd of others, or alone on a frightening street, I weep for that..
Barks offers a gracefully rendered introduction to each section, providing personal and historical background of the poetry. Elegantly designed and printed on cream-colored, heavy-stock paper, this is a delight for Rumi fans. --Gail Hudson

Inspirational & Religious Books

Book Subjects
Most talked about in Rabbi Chava's Books for Interspirituality and the Contemplative Path
PRESENT MOMENT WONDERFUL MOMENT: Mindful Verses for Daily Living ImagePRESENT MOMENT WONDERFUL MOMENT: Mindful Verses for Daily Living
by Thich Nhat Hanh
Parallax Press; Published: 2006-01-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $17.98
The Philokalia: The Eastern Christian Spiritual Texts--selections Annotated & Explained (SkyLight Illuminations) ImageThe Philokalia: The Eastern Christian Spiritual Texts--selections Annotated & Explained (SkyLight Illuminations)
by Allyne Smith
Skylight Paths Publishing; Published: 2006-07-31; Paperback; Book
Best price: $10.55
Price in other shops: $16.99
THE TRUE SOLITUDE: Selections from the Writings of Thomas Merton. ImageTHE TRUE SOLITUDE: Selections from the Writings of Thomas Merton.
by ed. Dean Walley
Kansas City MO: Hallmark Editions, 1969. 61p.; Published: 1969; Hardcover; Book
Seeking God: The Way of St. Benedict (Second Edition) ImageSeeking God: The Way of St. Benedict (Second Edition)
by Esther de Waal
The Liturgical Press; Published: 2001-04; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.95
Price in other shops: $14.95
Thomas Merton's Path to the Palace of Nowhere ImageThomas Merton's Path to the Palace of Nowhere
by James Finley
Sounds True, Incorporated; Published: 2004-02; Audio CD; Book
Best price: $39.98
Price in other shops: $69.95
Kindness: A Treasury of Buddhist Wisdom for Children and Parents (The Little Light of Mine Series) ImageKindness: A Treasury of Buddhist Wisdom for Children and Parents (The Little Light of Mine Series)
by Sarah Conover
Eastern Washington University Press; Published: 2001-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $12.49
Price in other shops: $19.95
Awakening the Buddha Within: Tibetan Wisdom for the Western World ImageAwakening the Buddha Within: Tibetan Wisdom for the Western World
by Lama Surya Das
Doubleday Religion; Published: 1998-06-15; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.99
Price in other shops: $15.95
The Key: And the Name of the Key Is Willingness ImageThe Key: And the Name of the Key Is Willingness
by Cheri Huber
Keep It Simple Books; Published: 1999-03-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.99
Price in other shops: $10.00
Jewish Spiritual Practices ImageJewish Spiritual Practices
by Yitzhak Buxbaum
Jason Aronson; Published: 1999-07-28; Paperback; Book
Best price: $36.48
Price in other shops: $51.95
Minyan: Ten Principles for Living a Life of Integrity ImageMinyan: Ten Principles for Living a Life of Integrity
by Rami Shapiro
Harmony/Bell Tower; Published: 1997-08-19; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.99
Price in other shops: $15.00
Similar Books and other products
The Gift ImageThe Gift
by Hafiz
Penguin Compass; Published: 1999-08-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $9.14
Price in other shops: $16.00
The Subject Tonight Is Love: 60 Wild and Sweet Poems of Hafiz (Compass) ImageThe Subject Tonight Is Love: 60 Wild and Sweet Poems of Hafiz (Compass)
by Hafiz
Penguin (Non-Classics); Published: 2003-01-28; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.90
Price in other shops: $14.00
The Forbidden Rumi: The Suppressed Poems of Rumi on Love, Heresy, and Intoxication ImageThe Forbidden Rumi: The Suppressed Poems of Rumi on Love, Heresy, and Intoxication
Inner Traditions; Published: 2006-02-14; Paperback; Book
Best price: $9.11
Price in other shops: $14.95
I Heard God Laughing: Poems of Hope and Joy ImageI Heard God Laughing: Poems of Hope and Joy
by Hafiz
Penguin (Non-Classics); Published: 2006-09-26; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.47
Price in other shops: $15.00
The Illuminated Rumi ImageThe Illuminated Rumi
by Jalal Al-Din Rumi
Broadway Books; Published: 1997-10-13; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $18.95
Price in other shops: $30.00
Rumi: Bridge to the Soul: Journeys into the Music and Silence of the Heart ImageRumi: Bridge to the Soul: Journeys into the Music and Silence of the Heart
by Coleman Barks
HarperOne; Published: 2007-09-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $8.34
Price in other shops: $17.99
The Love Poems of Rumi ImageThe Love Poems of Rumi
Harmony; Published: 1998-01-12; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $6.36
Price in other shops: $12.00
A Year with Rumi: Daily Readings ImageA Year with Rumi: Daily Readings
by Coleman Barks
HarperOne; Published: 2006-11-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $11.85
Price in other shops: $22.99
Essential Rumi ImageEssential Rumi
by Jalal al-Din Rumi
HarperOne; Published: 1997-02-14; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.75
Price in other shops: $14.99
Rumi: The Book of Love: Poems of Ecstasy and Longing ImageRumi: The Book of Love: Poems of Ecstasy and Longing
by Coleman Barks
HarperOne; Published: 2005-02-01; Roughcut; Book
Best price: $7.49
Price in other shops: $13.99
Book store. Illustrated catalog of books on different categories