Mevlana Rumi

Thank you to Mevlana Rumi, Watkins, Watkins Publishing, and NetGalley for this free honest reviewer copy of "Warriors of Love: Rumi's Odes to Shams of Tabriz."

I have always had a deep and abiding love for the works of Rumi, and so it was no surprise I jumped at this book when there was the chance to both read and review it for NetGalley.

I was moved to discover so much about his past, that I'd never known before, in the section covering his biography (which I both never expected to find in a poetry text, and was swept over the moon with recieving as an extra gift in this time).

The poetry, itself, was a beautiful delving into a relationship and friendship of two great scholars and learned men, Mevlana Rumi and Shams of Tabriz. While the story does date back to the 13th century, it's never been lost entirely from renown discussion. You will feel and see those bonds of deep truth, love, and friendship reflected throughout the whole reading. I had several passages I stopped on to read over and bookmarked to share with those dear to me.… (altro)

Warriors of Love: Rumi's Odes to Shams of Tabriz by Mevlana Rumi is a partial biography and a small selection of poetry. Rumi was a 13th-century Persian poet, jurist, Islamic scholar, theologian, and Sufi mystic. His poems have been widely translated into many of the world's languages, and he has been described as the most popular poet and the best-selling poet in the United States.

James Cowan provides the introduction and translation in this work. This inclusion is important since the introduction makes up the bulk of the book. Cowan describes the relationship of Rumi and Shams of Tabriz. The friendship between the two grew into something that Cowan describes as seeing a reflection of God in each other. Thier friendship expanded into a spiritual love and a great understanding of God. They were both practitioners of Sufism, a mystical form of Islam that centers on internal purification and self-discovery. Strict dogma is missing from this practice and includes things that may not be acceptable in stricter interpretations like dancing and being a fool for God.

Much of the introduction concerns itself specifically with Rumi's deep friendship with Shams and his discovery of poetry in the process of and in remembrance of that friendship after Shamsdisappearence and murder, something Rumi never fully accepted. Comparisons of other very strong friendships are covered before the poetry section.

The poetry is translated by Cowan and represents a more poetic translation of these verses using modern style instead of the traditional Victorian style. He attempts to keep the rhythm and intent of the original poetry intact rather than strict meaning. Shams is presented as the perfect man and the wild one (his dancing in part). The short selection of poetry is interesting in a modern sense and always written in couplets although not rhyming. A translation that, however, does seem to keep the original intent of the writing intact. It is difficult to classify the book itself as poetry since so much is written as an introduction. However, calling it a biography supported with poetry may be closer to reality. Either way, very well done and informative.… (altro)