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Summary: Rumi speaks with a powerful whisper...
Review: Written with exquisite simplicity this book speaks to a reality we only vaguely suspect and then goes deeper to excavate our deepest spiritual roots. Rumi speaks with a quiet roar. If you dare to listen, you will not remain unchanged.
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Summary: These poems are God's whisper...
Review: Words can not do these poems any justice,a must read for anyone who loves God or just amazing poetry...
Rating:
Summary: One of my favorite books ever
Review: This is an incredible book. Coleman's translations
are wonderful. Rumi's poems have totally changed
my life. I could write volumes... but I will simply
say BUY THIS BOOK and READ IT CAREFULLY!!
Rating:
Summary: Enchanting! Deeply Profound and Spiritual
Review: Rumi's poetry touches Soul in Its deepest recesses, reminding us of the value of silence, of contemplation, and of seeking God within ourselves. Sprinkled throughout his poetry, is a liberal dash of Light and Sound, the two manifestations of God's voice on Earth. We too can contact these two aspects of God, and almost magically, Rumi's poems all fall into place. This book is more than a book of poems. It is something akin to a map, detailing one man's spiritual journey into the Heart of God, and then back into society, to live amongst the "sleeping."
Shams of Tabriz makes a few appearances in the writings of Eckankar, as well as in this book, and filled me with excitement as my eye fell upon his name. For those interested in the Light and Sound of God, check out this site: http://www.eckankar.org
My congratulations and thanks go out to Coleman Barks as well, for capturing the lyric magic and the musical spirituality that fills Rumi's works. Thank you, and my congratulations on a job well done.
Rating:
Summary: Essential part of the dilettante's library
Review: "Out beyond ideas of rightdoing and wrongdoing,
There is a field.
I will meet you there."I have bought no fewer than ten copies of this book, for friends and family. I was lucky to find them remainder at the local book megamart, but I would gladly pay full price. This book made Rumi my favorite poet. Rumi is habit forming, but this is by far the most accessible place to start.
Rating: 
Summary: Please!
Review: Please! We, the literate people, have to stop subsidizing the Stephen Mitchell's and Coleman Barks of the world who "translate" the work of great writers without any knowledge of the language they are translating. Barks does not have any familiarity with Persian, either old or new (Farsi). The fact that we could be fooled by such men is why we are the object of ridicule in Europe among the educated. Instead of Barks, one should look into a bonafide scholar's translations of Rumi, like A.J.Arberry's profoundly deep renderings of Rumi's art.
Let us mature as a people and leave these pseudo-scholars out in the cold - where they belong.
Rating: 
Summary: Essential is Right
Review: Barks does an excellent job with the translation, bring the beauty of Rumi's original poems into English for us. Many times I've been too stunned with the glory of it all to continue reading.
Although much of the translation is wonderful, a lot of it is not as great. I don't know who was having the off days - Barks or Rumi, but someone messed up what could have been a masterpiece. That's the only reason this work doesn't deserve 5 stars. Other than that, it is great.
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Summary: The Best Poet Ever
Review: When Rumi writes there is something more there is an ever constant presence just beyond words, beyond articulation. His divine encounters come across as dreamy sermons in which he transports the reader if only for a second to his world of endless joy and sustained ecstasy. I do not belive there is any poet of this age or any other who has shared Rumis endless style. I do however see allot of similarities with the latter Jewish Mystic Martin Burber. Burbur shares Rumi's notion of what constitutes a divine encouner; being open seeing the "beloved," in every aspect of human life. Further like Burber he believes in the endless power of the believer. Rumi's writings are free of any self consciousness or self loath thing each of his poems inspires a new refreshing idea of how the world is. I love Rumi's poetry and I think nothing short of, total reinterpretation of everything they know should be expected of the reader.
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Summary: Distilling Spirit in Every Thought, Vision, & Experience
Review: "The Essential Rumi" translation by Coleman Barks was my first introduction to the poetry of Rumi (and *not* my last). I was hooked, captured, captivated ... by his imagery ... by the spiritual message conveyed via carefully selected words. I have five books of Rumi's poetry and would definitely buy more.
Coleman Bark's translations provide the clearest message and are the easiest to read and understand. Despite living in the early 1200s and in Turkey, these poems stand the test of time. They are now almost 8 centuries (800 years) in age and continue to penetrate the minds of readers and mesmerize many cultures throughtout the entire world. This says more about the poetry than whatever inadequate words I could write ...
Here is a one sentence summary of this book: through his words and images ... Rumi connects the reader closer to the divine essence present in all that exists. Erika Borsos (erikab93)
Rating: 
Summary: A little hard for me
Review: I have tried to read this book few times but each time i put it down because i don't understand most of his poems. I am sure Rumi's work is awesome and as said by the other readers, it is one of the best translations available of his poetry but if someone can recommend me something that is easier than this one, i will appreciate that.
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