The Illustrated Rumi: A Treasury of Wisdom from the Poet of the Soul (Hardcover)

~ Jalalu'ddin Rumi (Author), Philip Dunn (Translator) (Author), Manuela Dunn Mascetti (Translator) (Author), Huston Smith (Introduction) (Author) "IALALU'DDIN RUMI WAS BORN in the year 1207 in Balkh, Afghanistan, during the Persian Empire..." (more)
Key Phrases: eldest prince, favored servant, deaf man, God Himself

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The 13th century Sufi mystic Jalal al-Din Rumi was a storyteller who spoke like a songwriter--in metered prose and rhyming verse. Whatever the translation (and there have been many), his words always seem to fall like lilting petals, drifting in a delicate pattern toward some grounded truth. This sensually illustrated version offers yet another new translation in which readers will find a mixture of Rumi's parables and poetry interwoven into each story. Thus, readers will start off firmly planted in Rumi's straightforward, storytelling voice. Then, about four paragraphs down, the translators will insert one of his ecstatic poems, then the tone will return to the story voice. It may seem like choppy editing, but it actually swirls and circles around like a joyful Sufi dancer. The chosen tales are all spiritually inspirational, as Rumi always is, yet they are also a pleasure to read as simple stories told by a master. The illustrations and attentive design artfully enhance the grace and fluidity of Rumi's words. --Gail Hudson

From Booklist

Seven centuries after his death, Jalal al-Din Rumi is enjoying a heck of a comeback. The poet laureate of Sufism, Rumi's innovations proved so fundamental that his style and language continue to be imitated throughout the Islamic world. And he has been cited as a great mystic by no less an authority than Mike D of the Beastie Boys. Far beyond what the quotable snippets of his poetry in self-help tomes and love anthologies indicate, he was a magnificent poet, acclaimed by kings and vagabonds alike in his lifetime. Although there is little new insight in Wines' Spiritual Biography , and it lacks the depth of Annemarie Schimmel's 1992 effort, her vivid, well-researched portrait of the poet is the first life of Rumi in English that is intended for the general readership Rumi cared most to have. In particular, she breathes life into one of the great Platonic love stories of all time, that of Rumi and his muse Shams, an old and dirty dervish. John Green
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: HarperOne; 1 edition (October 3, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 006062017X
• ISBN-13: 978-0060620172
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #128,483 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #22 in	Books > Literature & Fiction > Poetry > Middle Eastern
  #25 in	Books > Religion & Spirituality > Islam > Sufism
  #81 in	Books > Literature & Fiction > Poetry > Inspirational & Religious

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Translation Worthy of the Master's Works, October 3, 2000

By	CEO of Real Estate Consulting Firm (San Francisco Bay Area, USA) - See all my reviews

For those who know Rumi, here at last is a translation and presentation whose majesty match the wisdom of the message. For those who do not yet know Rumi, this exquisite book opens a window to insights that will always be treasured.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Amazing Book, July 27, 2006

By	Afony - See all my reviews

This is a great book. It is professionally translated and the words flow naturally. The introduction is powerful and it has a lot of useful information about the book content and the spiritual life of Rumi. The illustrations are carefully chosen and relevantly placed giving you a persian medeivial aura. Rumi was a great sufi poet who lived in the golden age of the Islamic civilization. His poetry is a guide to spirituality and wisdom. It is deep,simply-written and interesting. Anyone who reads this book will enjoy it.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Common heritage of mankind, May 24, 2005

By	O. Akin "Humanity lives in all of us" (TX) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The ultimate source of Rumi`s work is the original work of Mathnawi, in Persian, it has a delicate taste of poetic dimension too, but even without the poetic contribution, Richard A. Nicholson has translated all the 6 volumes of Mathnawi with an excellent translation, eloquent, lovely and elegant. Rumi is an ocean, "The illustrated Rumi" is a very nice sampling taken from these six volumes. The illustrations are taken from the early islamic art, most of which, one has to remind himself, were performed bofore the Renaissance. It has a taste of Arabic Nights in the pictures, what is more important though is the quality of the samples. Nicholson has the best work accomplished, and I recommend it to anybody, to me that book deserves to be written with gold and silver. Still Illustrated Rumi will give an idea of Rumi, especially with the wonderful introduction of Huston Smith, who himself is a leader in religious studies, this book is like cream de la cream of Matnawi as an introduction. The book is worthy of being read carefully at least once. I would recommend reading this book to those people left undecided between a foot long sandwich and a glimpse of the soul.