This is an amazing book of poetry, the words just dance off the page. this is a good place to start if you're interested in the poetry of Rumi.
The translations are well done and don't sacrifice the emotional content of the poetry to fit the words. Give yourself or someone else a wonderful experience and read this book. You'll be very happy that you did.

The open secret, available to all but few listen. That is the feeling you get when you let these wonderful writings flow over and through you.

Some short, some longer, each writing is a treasure. The more you read (or listen if you've been fortunate to get the audio condensed version from this work) the deeper each verse becomes. I've owned the printed copy for years and every read brings new wonders and old friends.

The cream of Rumi is brought to this work and Coleman Barks does wonderful interpretations. The work as a whole weaves a tapestry that, in the end, leaves you feeling part weaver and part thread. The possibility of the "Beloved" as "Lover" becomes manifest. The drunk, intoxicated by the bliss of the presence of God, overflows with sacred wine and wants to dance. The sharing of a deep spiritual presence at dawn with those nearest you becomes a yearning that you want each and every day.

This book is a cornerstone in the rediscovery of Rumi and Islam for that matter. It provides a glimpse, from the lovers' point of view, into a world traditionally dominated by the warrior spirit.

After reading you yearn for the association of others who have similar thoughts. You realize that "the pot drips what's in it" and you yearn to associate with gentle people who enjoy this book as much as you.

Certainly "Open Secret" is a must read and a must own. It is every bit worth the price and a classic in the genre.

Unlike many of his translations of Rumi, Open Secrets credits the Persian scholar, John Moyne, as a co-author. The notes credit A. J. Arberry and R. A. Nicholson as well. Coleman Barks forms the translations in English poetry. This collection is of quatrains and odes.

In this collection fewer of the poems use specifically Sufi imagery than in some collections; e.g. "Late, by myself, in the boat of myself" could as easily be Buddhist or Hindu; this makes the poetry more obviously universal than some collections. There are, of course, the more specifically Sufi tavern/wine images, e.g. "They say that Paradise will be prefect / with losts of clear white wine and all the beautiful women".

These translations are meant for, and work best for, the individual reading for the spiritual content of Rumi rather than the scholar interested in Persian poetry.

There are a number of writers on Islamic topics that are excellent from differing perspectives. There are only two Western authors, however, that I have any respect for when it comes to the subject of Islamic spirituality. One of them was Frithjof Schuon, and the other is Annemarie Schimmel.

With all of the fuss about Rumi and the whole New Age Sufi thing, it is all too easy to forget that Rumi was a Muslim (sometimes I suspect that too many people would like to forget it). Rumi was the sort of person that he was because he was a Muslim, and not in spite of that fact. Professor Schimmel places Rumi squarely in the Islamic perspective, which is where he belongs. This book provides the best short introduction to his life and thought within that context that I have run across, and I recommend it highly to anyone interested in his life and work.

An excellent piece of writing on the life and poetry of Rumi. Gives a biographical sketch as well as outlines the technicalities of Rumi's prose, his beliefs and ideas as rendered in poetry. One of the most moving book's I've ever read.

This book is the best biography of Mawlana Jalal uddin Rumi (may his secret be sanctified!) that I have read in the English language to date. The prose itself is absolutely wonderful and is almost poetry in itself! Added to this is Prof. Schimmel's intimate knowledge of the works and life of Mawlana Rumi which she does a wonderful job of presenting. Also, unlike other Orientalist interpreters of Sufism, she firmly places Rumi within the orthodox Islamic framework and ideology/world-view where he belongs. Her translations of his poems are also delightful. This book is highly recommended for all those Muslim and non-Muslim who are interested in the life and works of one of the greatest Saints to ever walk this earth.

Eryk Hanut's "Rumi Cards" are a fabulous addition to my knowledge and practice in the work of Rumi. They are very appealing to the senses and help deepen my understanding of both Rumi and myself. And sometimes I am flat out stunned by the outcome. It feels like magic!

A wonderful addition to my collection of divinity tools...my first introduction to Rumi. Very nice, high-quality. I love how the cards are more pliable than most cards. In my most memorable drawing of these cards to-date, I was being told that I had earned a profound blessing...I was at one of the lowest points in my life and I scoffed at the prospect; but not long after, the blessing came and was truly unmistakable. Tools like this, that make these divine experiences so brilliantly clear are invaluable in deepening the faith and inspiring the "magic."

This book and card combo are truelly amagnficent creation. They bring to life one of the greatest minds to ever grace this earth. Opening the minds of all who touch and read the cards. i have had friends read or simply glanceover the cards and suddenly be entranced by Rumi. Great idea.

I wholly recommend you to buy this book if you want your heart cracked open. It's beautiful.

This evocation of the life of the great spiritual master Rumi is far more than a narration: it is a burning light, a force that undoubtedly has been drawn from the same profound well of love as the well of Rumi's own search for union with - what? God, the all-that-is, himself. The central theme of surrender is a theme for our age, and for all those within it who are diligently seraching for a way to be in the world, whilst perhaps not necessarily of it. Watts's relationship with his writing and subject is as direct, breathtaking and ego-less as the joyful arrival of a spring flower. His book stands as a burning reminder to us all that any shirking of our hearts's voice for the sake of safety or reputation is simply compromise. It delineates, in the most compassionate and heart-breaking way possible, the real challenge every human being faces: to surrender the illusion of control and to open our hearts to that which is greater than us all. I can only describe The Way of Love as a gift.

If there is one book you read this year, make it THE WAY OF LOVE by Nigel Watts. I read it practically in one sitting, having the odd feeling of not being able to put it down and yet not wanting to finish it. It's one of the most beautiful books I've read on the subject of God. I cried buckets at the end, not of sadness but because I felt so evoked. It changed my perspective on life and I actually felt I had grown as a result of reading the book. It's a piece of treasure. I have recommended it to friends who have had similar experiences with it. I have a feeling it's going to be a book that lives on and on - the fire of Rumi never dies.

I found this slim little volume years ago and was so moved by it that I felt compelled to write to the publisher and to the translator. Dr. Ergin, an American surgeon, is also Turkish Sufi, his religion is the center of his life. I admire him greatly and believe that his translation of Rumi is the most accurate and authentic. He fully understands and experiences the spirit of Rumi and makes the ancient verses come alive in the most direct, unadorned way. I hope you treasure this book as I do.

Rumi's words will truly speak to your soul - The poems reach deep into your heart and illuminate the answers to the burning questions we all ask of ourselves.

Delicious Laughter is Coleman Barks's collection of some of Maulana Rumi's most uproarious stories from the Mathnavi. But I must warn you potential reader: many of the narratives in this compilation are quite explicit - *definitely* not for puritanical prudes. The thing to remember is that Rumi uses these graphic images to make a point. His stories are not just crude attempts to make us chuckle. Rather, he seeks to lay bare the various impulses that push and pull us - impulses that in fact make up the Divine Comedy of human existence. Behind all of these impulses lies the Grand Impulse, which is our inate yet unconscious yearning for the Object of our existence - the Eternal Beloved - like water drops seeking a return to the ocean, or flowers naturally turning towards the sun. As long as this is kept in mind, Rumi's humour will reveal itself for what it is: a key to a higher and more profound understanding of what makes us human. Through this key the grand narrative behind the apparently incoherent and disjointed fables and stories will unlock itself.

Delicious Laughter is a secondary translation of teaching tales in verse by Rumi. By secondary translation I mean that Coleman Barks does not translate directly but works with others who can read the origin. However, Barks' sense of poetry, meaning and story make his versions excellent. Many of the stories are known to the Western world via Idries Shah's work, some through de Mello, others have moved East and West through time. However, many of the tales will be unfamilar to the reader - some of which will remind us of the international character of Rumi's environment.

In "Chinese Art and Greek Art" there is a contest to see which art is best - the Chinese complete a stunning piece of art on their wall. The Greeks polish their wall so brightly that it reflects the Chinese work. ... the moral is ... (read the book to find out).

I have previously read Rumi's poetry which I have found to have been hard to comprehend due to translation mistakes and cultural differences.

This book is like a Sufi version of say Confucius' Analects(discourses with pupils). Here Rumi and friends, and disciples converse on everything from mundane everyday matters to the esoteric, and connect them together into a whole.

This gives a more practical and down to earth approach into this Sufi's teachings.

This is perhaps the best work available from Rumi. His poetry is good and deep, but this is more accessable and therefore more enlightening. After reading this you will know why Rumi is concidered a Sufi master.

Strange that this book isn't more widely available....Theres thankfully a free E-book version of this outhere somewhere. Get that till this is reissued.

"What we cannot speak about we must pass over in silence" said Wittgenstein at the end of his Tractatus Logico Philosophicus. The breadth and scope of 'Discourses of Rumi', dictated during the closing years of Rumi's life, has not only anticipated but answered this most profound philosophical question. Silence does not equal being mute: to Rumi, and perhaps Wittgenstein silence is a journey into a world untouched by 'vulgar' words. It is a world beyond understanding. It is the world of 'knowing'.

I was amazed how Rumi loved God. His example and perseverance is worth emulating in the now fast-faced world. This work is a must for every student of the truth. If a reader will read between the lines, he will realized the synthesis of things.

This is a beautiful, inspiring work, filled with passion, ecstacy, joy, and longing. The photographs throughout the book are both moving and meditative.

WHEN I FIRT SAW I WAS AFRAID TO TALK TO YOU , WHEN I TALKED TO YOU I WAS AFRAID TO LIKE YOU , WHEN I LIKED I WAS AFRAID TO LOVE YOU , NOW THAT I LOVE YOU I'M AFRAID TO LOSE YOU..

Annemarie Schimmel is an internationally recognized expert on Sufism in general and Rumi in particular. In this selection of poems of Rumi, she also shows herself to be a woman of excellent poetic sense in English.

Especially enjoyable in this small volume are poems that reflect the common origins of Judaism, Christianity and Islam: "... You be an ocean and throw out the boat! / You be a world and throw away the world! .............

If you enjoy Sufi poetry or Rumi, consider this book a must.

I am enjoying "The Soul of Rumi" by Rumi's best translator, Coleman Barks, but this collection is not nearly as inspired as Bark's "The Essential Rumi."

This is the best book of Rumi translations there is. It has so much Rumi -- much more than "The Essential Rumi" -- & includes the complete book IV of the Masnavi, one of the greatest Persian classics. Get this book. This is the Rumi book. This is thge spiritual poetry books, of all the ones that want to be.

I would like to correct the description given of molana Rumi. It is a very widly accepted fact that Rumi was a persian poet and was born in persia (at the time). If you read any of his actual Farsi written works it would become clear that it is a true persian Farsi and not the Afghani (as we know it now). In any case, this is an excellent book. VERY NICELY translated!