Rumi: Swallowing the Sun

Timeless and eternal, the poetry of Jalal al-Din Rumi is loved the world over, making him the best selling poet from America to Tajikistan. In this beautifully presented volume of new translations, Franklin D. Lewis draws from the great breadth of his work, in all its varied aspects and voices. Working directly from the original Persian, Lewis brings to this translation not only the latest scholarship in Persian and English, but a deftness and lightness of touch that allows for a profound sensitivity to Rumi’s mystical and philosophical background.

Complete with a detailed introduction and notes, this is a perceptive, insightful, and deeply moving collection that will prove inspirational to both keen followers of Rumi’s work and readers discovering the great poet for the first time.

Jalal al Din Rumi (1207?1273) was born in the Persian province of Khorassan (modern day Afghanistan). A disciple of the Sufi tradition, he was the figurehead of the Whirling Dervishes. Of his prolific career as both poet and scholar, his poetry is what he is best remembered for: the Masnavi, a narrative poem of 25,000 verses in six volumes, is widely considered to be the greatest spiritual masterpiece ever written.

Franklin D. Lewis is an associate professor in the department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at the University of Chicago. He is a specialist in Persian literature and author of Rumi: Past and Present, East and West, also published by Oneworld.