Rending the Veil: Literal and Poetic Translations of Rumi (Hardcover)

~ Jalal Al-Din Rumi (Author), Shahram T. Ranslator Shiva (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In Islam, the spiritual and literary influence of Jelaluddin Rumi is so pervasive that the name of the 13th-century Persian Sufi leader is prefaced by the reverential term ``Maulana'' (``our master''). Rumi, notes scholar Peter Lamborn Wilson in his preface to this beguiling addition to the current Rumi vogue in the West, ``can only be compared to such Occidentals as Dante and Shakespeare.'' Nonetheless, translating Rumi's astonishingly vast legacy with accessible accuracy is almost defiantly problematic due to the combined difficulties first of parsing the ancient language in which it was recorded and then of helping Western minds to grasp the manifold nuances of the poet's transcendant vision of the Beloved (i.e., God). But native Iranian Shiva (A Garden Beyond Paradise: The Mystical Poetry of Rumi with Jonathan Star) leaps the cross-cultural chasm with engaging panache. Of the 2000 quatrains amassed in Rumi's Divvan-e Shams-e Tabrizi, Shavi has chosen 252, rendering them simultaneously in the original Persian, in verbatim English transliterations and in faithfully polished translations. The result of this interactive method is a book that provides insight into the art of translating while plumbing the depth of Rumi's inspired passion. Included are a glossary of terms, a reference guide to Persian mysticism and a bibliography.

Copyright 1995 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Product Description

A rare gift for Rumi lovers, combining exquisitely rendered Persian calligraphy, groundbreaking transliteration, 'word-by-word' literal translations, and faithful poetic translations of 252 quatrains (most previously untranslated). Finalist for the Benjamin Franklin Award.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 1 pages
• Publisher: Hohm Press; 1 edition (March 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0934252467
• ISBN-13: 978-0934252461
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 7.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #969,095 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful book which will transform the reader., August 19, 1999

By A Customer

This is the best book for understanding the poetry of Rumi. It invites readers to see the exquisite calligraphy of these words, to hear their resonance in Rumi's Persian language, and to see for themselves how these words have been translated into English poems. This is the most complete experience of Rumi found in English translation -- beginners to scholars could benefit from this work. Each page is magical and meticulously well-wrought. I was inspired to examine Rumi's poetry for myself and the experience transformed my own poetic ideas. This is the only Rumi book out there like this. It is a gift -- especially if you buy it for yourself!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Interactive Translation, September 18, 2000

By	James H. Holland II "UjiTea" (Geneva, NY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This translation gives you a smooth English rendition, a beautiful calligraphic version, a structural, word-by-word English explanation, as well as a romanized version of the original language. If you are interested in trying to see *beyond* the final translation, this book is very interesting! I do not know Farsi at all, much less Farsi of Rumi's era, but I learned *much* from this set of translations. It has also made it much easier for me to refer to and talk about Rumi's poems with Irani friends.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent for student of Persian and Rumi, January 3, 2007

By	Zailig Pollock - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

I am a student of Persian with a particular interest in Rumi. I found this volume very helpful in both regards. It consists of 252 quatrains by Rumi in an elegant and legible nastaaliq hand, which I found very useful as a way of familiarizing myself with this script which can be quite challenging to beginners. Each quatrain is followed by a transliteration, a word for word translation, and a clear translation in contemporary English. This is ideal for someone learning to read, write and pronounce Persian. There is a glossary of terms which is good as far as it goes but is quite brief. Something along the lines of the notes to Nicholson's Selected Poems from the Diven-e Shames-e Tabrizi would have made the volume even more useful for the student of Rumi.