Customer Reviews

Love's Alchemy: Poems from the Sufi Tradition

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I delayed picking this book up for awhile after it came out - I'm not usually one for poetry. It was my loss, and a great one at that.

This volume of thought-provoking and inspirational writings by many great Sufi poets is of immense value to spiritual folks of any faith as well as those who simply appreciate fine poetry. The translation by David & Sabrineh Fideler is very clean and sparing - spartan while still exhibiting an elegance that only comes from both knowledge of the language as well as the meanings intended by the authors.

It's really rare that a compendium of poetry can serve admirably both for leisure reading and academic study, but they've really pulled it off here. The included glossary also helps to explain Sufi symbolism to the reader unacquainted with such things, and thus the work can also serve well as a da'wa tool.

To sum it up, I highly recommend this book & thank the translators for the excellent job they have done here.

This is an exceptional collection of Sufi poetry from a wide range of writers, some well known in the West and some fairly obscure. David and Sabrineh Fideler's translations are lovely and straight forward, and their choice of poems benefit both newcomers to Sufism and those looking for the deepest truths. Highly recommended.

This is a very excellent and smooth translation that captures the essence of the sufism and spirituality.

The translators of Love's Alchemy put it best in the introduction: "...if this volume conveys anything, it is the message that Rumi is not alone." For lovers of the more widely known mystic Persian poets, this book will introduce them to the vast range of other masterful writers of that tradition.

The Fidelers have not only recreated the lines in poetically readable English, but they have also provided a valuable appendix on translation issues, and additionally a discussion of the different forms of Persian poetry. Glossary and valuable notes at the end of the book provide further study for those who wish to delve deeper into the mysteries presented within the verses.

It makes a great gift as well for those Rumi and Hafez lovers!

Very nice collection of short Sufi poetry. The verses are rich in colors and images and it is not difficult to picture those in your mind. Try it - it's a beautiful sight...

Another very good collection of Persian Sufi poetry. This book focuses on poems and poets that are not as well known in the West. A good place to discover some new names.