Rumiverse

A Compendium of English Translations and Versions of Jalal al-Din Rumi.

Mawlānā Jalāl-al-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī (Persian:

Celâleddin Mehmed Rumi) , also known as Mawlānā Jalāl-ad-Dīn Muhammad Balkhī (Persian:

), but known to the English-speaking world simply as Rumi, (September 30, 1207–December 17, 1273), was a thirteenth century Muslim poet, jurist, and theologian. His name literally means "Majesty of Religion," Jalal means "majesty" and Din means "religion."

Rumi was born in Balkh (then a city in Greater Khorasan in Persia, now part of Afghanistan) and died in Konya (in present-day Turkey). He wrote his poetry in Persian, and his works are widely read in the original in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan—and in translation in Turkey, Azerbaijan, the United States, and South Asia. Rumi's importance is considered to transcend national and ethnic borders. For eight centuries he has had a significant influence on Persian as well as Urdu and Turkish literature.

His apprenticeship as a Sufi mystic was initially guided by his father, Baha'ud-Din Walad, who was a renowned Islamic—and Sufi-teacher. After his father’s death, Rumi was taught by Sayyed Burhan ud-Din-e Muhaqqiq, one of his father’s students. In 1244, when Rumi was thirty-seven years old, he met the mysterious Shams ad-Din Tabrizi (d. 1247), and their relationship elevated Rumi to an entirely new realm of spirituality. With the encouragement of Hussam-e-Chelebi, another spiritual friend and his scribe, Rumi dictated Mathnawi, (or Masnavi) a vast six-volume work of spiritual teaching and Sufi lore in the form of stories and lyric poetry of extraordinary quality.

The following is from wikipedia: “After Salah ud-Din's death, Rumi's scribe and favorite student Hussam-e Chelebi assumed the role. One day, the two of them were wandering through the Meram vineyards outside of Konya when Hussam described an idea he had to Rumi: ‘If you were to write a book like the Ilahinama of Sanai or the Mantiq ut-Tayr of 'Attar it would become the companion of many troubadours. They would fill their hearts from your work and compose music to accompany it.’ Rumi smiled and took out a piece of paper on which were written the opening eighteen lines of his Masnavi, beginning with:

Listen to the reed and the tale it tells,
How it sings of separation...

Hussam implored Rumi to write more. Rumi spent the next twelve years of his life in Anatolia dictating the six volumes of this masterwork, the Masnavi to Hussam.

The Mathnawi is one of the enduring treasures of the Persian-speaking world, known and memorized by many. It is popularly called "the Qur'an in Persian." The singing of the Mathnawi has become an art form in itself. Rumi was also the inspiration for the Mawlawiyya (Mevlevi) Sufi order, founded by his son Sultan Veled Celebi and others, which uses dancing and music as a few of its spiritual practices. The Mevlevis are also are known in the West as “the whirling dervishes.”

In response to a proposal by Culture and Tourism Ministry of Turkey, UNESCO declared the year 2007 the "International Year of Rumi". UNESCO intended this declaration to both commemorate Rumi's 800th birthday anniversary and to honor Jalal-ad-Din Muhammad Balkhi as one of history’s great humanists, philosophers, and poets—as an extraordinary human being who belongs to all humanity. UNESCO also issued a UNESCO Medal in Rumi’s name with the hope that this medal will encourage people to study and disseminate Rumi’s ideas and values.

Explainations of the Terms used on Rumiverse's Buttons

	Bismillah (also Basmalah): the phrase with which Muslims bless a work about to be undertaken: "In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate." All surahs of the Qur'an-except Surah 9, "Al-Tawbah"-begin with this phrase. This expression is spoken in many places in the Islamic world and is incorporated into much Muslim art.
	The Masnavi or Masnavi-I Ma'navi, also written Mathnawi or Mesnevi. Containing 25,000 verses, Rumi’s Masnavi presents hundreds of stories that illustrate the human being’s search for God. ("Masnawi" is the name of a poetic form consisting of couplets in Turkish and Persian literature that rhyme with each other.
	Containing about 40,000 verses, Rumi's other major work is the Divan-e Shams Tabriz-i-(The Works of Shams of Tabriz)-named in honor of Shams ad-Din Tabrizi.
	Fihi Ma Fihi (In it what is in it) contains Rumi's speeches on different subjects. Rumi himself did not prepare or write these discourses. They were recorded and collected by Rumi’s son Sultan Valad or other disciples. Some portions of it are commentary on the Masnavi.