There has been a glut of books on Rumi in the past few years, many of them of dubious authenticity or quality; this assessment applies especially to the "free" translations of his poetry which have been such a big hit in the West! I think those poetical translations are not doing justice to the message of Rumi since they are so far removed from many of the original Persian poems.

This book then is a welcome change. It is quite an old book but its republishing is an important event in the world of Rumi studies, in my opinion.

For a start this book, though perfectly accessible to the lay person, is primarily a scholarly endeavour and as such much more concerned about relaying the events of Rumi's life and his message as accurately as possible than in selling copies!

It is unique of all the books I have read on Rumi to date in that it tries to look, in depth, at his early life and how that affected him later when he met Shams Tabrizi and was moved by Divine Love to compose ecstatic poetry.

Thus we have a detailed chapter on the political conditions of the area (Afghanistan) in which he lived; then we have an exposition about his father (who himself was a very famous Muslim scholar and jurisprudent as well as a Sufi) who, as this book shows, had a major influence on Rumi's development and later ideas. We also then are introduced to the other people who influenced Rumi in one way or another, his teachers and his family and friends.

The sections on Rumi's life are detailed too: his life is divided into three sections: his birth, childhood, migration to Konya and early training as an Islamic scholar under his father and other famous teachers; his period following his father's demise as a prominent scholar, and Sufi teacher himself (he was an heir to his father's position); and then the period of his meeting with Shams and afterwards for the remainder of his life. This latter period is also further sub-divided based on his various works and mystical states as evidenced by his poetical output. Most other works on Rumi tend just to concentrate on this last period of his life.

After this the major poetical works of Rumi are discussed in, more or less, chronological order of writing. Thus the Divan-e-Shams-e-Tabrizi, his great collection of ecstatic lyrical poems in praise of Shams is dealt with first followed then by an explanation of his magnus opus, the Masnavi. Then the author discusses Rumi's overall message. The final section looks at sections of the Masnavi which RE Nicholson, in his great translation of the Masnavi, decided to translate into Latin as he believed them (erronously) to be of a pornographic nature. In fact, when one reads the English translations here, one sees that Rumi simply uses examples of human sexual behaviour to underline an important teaching point of Sufism.

For those who are interested in Rumi's message and life in earnest, and not in the suspicious "New-Age" fad which the spurious translations of his works seem to have started (and which he, being a pious Muslim, would no doubt be horrified by!), this book is a must.

Dr. Iqbal needs to be congratulated for trying to bring Rumi's message across as it is!

Enhanced with a foreword by Deepak Chopra, Sharhram Shiva's translation of quatrains from the Persian in Rumi: Thief Of Sleep will prove an ideal introduction for western readers to the inspiring, memorable poetry of Rumi. 1828UT: How long will you think about this painful life?/How long will you think about this harmful world?/The only thing it can take from you is your body./Don't say all this rubbish and stop thinking.

This book very quickly introduced me to Rumi whom I now consider one of the great spiritual teachers in my life. He loved God so deeply and his words exude this love in a way which is infectious. Helminski has done a great job of breaking out small fragments from the larger body of Rumi's work and has presented them in a format for easy assimilation. Each bite-sized piece though, is extremely profound and capable of capturing the attention for a lifetime of purposeful remembering. I never feel bored with Rumi's writings and refer to his words often to find that spiritual refreshment to make it through, what would otherwise be, trying days. Helminski's translation seems superior to other translations I have read of Rumi's words. Though I'm not capable of comparing it to the orignal, Helminski's translations sing for me like no others do. A most rewarding book and now a valued frequent companion for me.

Fabulous! Astounding! Super! A very uniquely packaged book. In short - you will be intoxicated reading this. I've loved Rumi poetry for a long long time and this is one of the best books I've seen. Poetry doesn't get any better than this. I get drunk reading Rumi's poetry every night. If you wanna get high - this is the stuff to get high on!

This collection of Rumi's poetry moved me like none of his other work. I have already given copies away several times over. You wont regret it!

I have given this book to at least 10 or 15 people as an introduction to Rumi. It has some of his most captivating poems (including most of my personal favorites), is very affordable and is high quality for a paperback. Rumi afficionados will like this book because it has a few poems I've not found published elsewhere. Rumi's symbolism is deep but this book is more accessible for beginners than others I've found, as the translation is lovely. A great value for the money since it contains many poems in a slim volume---makes a terrific and inexpensive gift.

Rumi's poetry, as brought to us by the brilliant and moving translations of Nicholson, represents one of the highest forms of mystical romantic outpourings. Like Fitzgerald/Khayyam, one is judging the poetic expression of Rumi through the translation of Nicholson. The end result is one of the most remarkable collection of poems, full of emotional impact, weighty with philosophical import. This book is not easy to find, so is a must-have for anyone interested in this subject.

I want to thank Andrew Harvey for offering a collection of Rumi that is grouped in such a way as to be really accessible to both the student of Rumi, as well as the new-comer. I found his clear presentation refreshing. This book has been a spiritual learning tool - a path to go down - with out the usual barrage of "opinions" by the editor. It is presented in such a way as to allow the reader to "just take the journey" without being swayed to believe that the passages mean anything else than the reader wants or needs them to mean. I am greatful that Harvey was able to show restraint and offer this clear- joyous collection - while feeling confident enough to leave the rest up to the reader.

A delightful book which stands out through the beauty of its art work, and even more through the power of its poetic vision. Raficq Abdulla has brought this 700-year-old poet and mystic to life in a way which speaks to those who are seeking an experience of Rumi's spirituality, but equally those who delight in the sheer sensuousness of his erotic imagery. Although the poems are well grounded in the spirit of Rumi's originals, Mr Abdulla hasn't shied away from interpreting them in a way that is inclusive of his modern audience - notably, the earthly image of the heavenly Beloved is no longer exclusively male, much in keeping with more modern perceptions of the nature of God. Altogether, the poems provide a delicious taste from Rumi's cup of Love.

This is a beautifully put together book of interpretations of translations of some of Rumi's work, though I do think other scholars, Nicholson comes to mind, have gotten much closer to the essence of Rumi. Nicholson doesn't water Rumi down; often, very often, Rumi's work was incredibly rambling, and extremely hard to follow--but delightful and compelling nonetheless. Though I do immensly enjoy Barks' work, he makes Rumi too tidy, and much of Rumi's brilliant essence and expansive mind is missed.

I recently stumbled across an absolutely engaging biography of Rumi, and which is a popular, short form account. Why the heck did it take so long for this? is anybody's guess. There is one other very good biography out there by a scholar named Iqbal, but even this is still too academic. This new book, Rumi: A Spiritual Biography by Leslie Wines though is a vigorous and ambitious little book and I think a must read for all those with a real love for this most incredible man and poet.

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."

This book may well become an American classic of poetry someday. It is by far the best English collection of Rumi's poetry, done by his most able translator.

Although Rumi's poetry -- as with most poetry -- is at core untranslatable, Barks has done a fine job in rendering older technical translations of the Maulana into poetic English. What one encounters here is not just Rumi, but Rumi filtered through Barks. If you object to that go learn Persian because no translation will be able to capture the subtle nuances conveyed through the original language.

Barks should be commended in showing us another face of Islam, and revealing, in the process, the timeless, universal and transreligious teachings of one of Islam's greatest saints.

For fans of Rumi/Barks, I suggest Winkel's new book: Damascus Steel. Its a work of fiction exploring contemporary political themes through sufi lenses, and was written before (!) September 11th.