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The Essential Rumi
(Harper One, 2004) translated by Coleman Barks
Between all the stories of conflict I hear as a mediator and the abundance of bad news surrounding us every day, I find myself craving words and experiences that inspire me, that feed my soul, that bring me joy. In this constant search, I have found inspiration in music, stories, people, art, books, good deeds, photography, and my favorite, poetry and Rumi.
Rumi is a 13th-century Persian poet, jurist, scholar, philosopher, and Sufi mystic who lived in what today is called Turkey. He is one of the most wonderful poets the world has ever known. Words he wrote 800 years ago are still as beautiful and meaningful as the day he wrote them. He makes it easier for us to understand matters of the mind, the soul, and all human emotions.
A compilation of his poems, translated by Coleman Barks, can be found in The Essential Rumi. This is not a book you can ever say you have "read," as if you actually finished it and then put it on the shelf. This book is a companion, a timeless map to the soul and to life. I like to read The Essential Rumi early in the morning to lift my spirit and boost...