Rumi, a renowned Persian poet and Sufi mystic, is celebrated for his profound insights on spiritual growth that transcend cultural and religious boundaries. This collection, edited by F. Hadland Davis and first published in 1907, showcases Rumi's timeless poetry, which continues to resonate in both secular and religious contexts today. His works remain particularly cherished in regions like Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan, reflecting the enduring appeal of his spiritual wisdom.
Rumi, who wrote and preached in Persia during the thirteenth century, was inspired by a wandering mystic, or dervish, named Shams al-Din. Rumi's vast body of poetry includes a lengthy poem of religious mysticism, the Mathnavi, and more than three thousand lyrics and odes. A.J. Arberry, who selected four hundred of the lyrics for translation, calls Rumi "one of the world's greatest poets. In profundity of thought, inventiveness of image, and triumphant mastery of language, he stands out as the supreme genius of Islamic mysticism.""An excellent introduction to Rumi, the greatest mystical poet of Islam. . . . Rumi's scope, like that of all great poets, is universal—reaching from sensuous luxuriance to the driest irony."—Sherman Goldman, East-West Journal