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

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

Book Review: Collecting Ecstasy
Summary: 5 Stars

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

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.

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.

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..

Inspirational & Religious Books

• Literature & Fiction > Poetry
• Middle Eastern
• General
• World Literature > Middle Eastern > Persian
• Religion & Spirituality > Islam > Sufism > General