Words of Paradise

"Words of Paradise: Selected Poems of Rumi" is a must read for lovers of poetry in general, Rumi in particular, and of Middle Eastern artwork. The text, illustrations, paper quality and various notations in "Words of Paradise" make it a paragon of bookbinding. "Words of Paradise" features fifty-six works by Rumi, interpreted by little-known Raficq Abdulla. Adulla's interpretations are masterful, lyrical, respectful and utterly beautiful. Without being prohibitively long and academic, the various non-poetic sections (Introduction, Notes about the Poems, and About the Manuscripts) wonderfully contextualize and situate these works in Rumi's own life, in the atmosphere of 13th century Persia, and in the literature of the Islamic world. Unlike a textbook, they bracket the book and do not intrude on the text of the poems with footnotes and superscripts. The cover jacket and title page advertise that this book is "Illustrated with Persian and Islamic Manuscripts". Nearly all of the book's 109 pages are gorgeously illustrated and were chosen because they are related to the poetry on the page. Rumi has achieved mass-appeal and the market is flooded with Rumi books. These beautiful illustrations are one of the main reasons for purchasing this particular book. What it lacks in volume of text, it compensates with illustration and the already-mentioned "About the Manuscripts" section gives insight into the scrupulous time and care that was taken to pair the texts with the illustrations. Of course, Abdulla's interpretations are not lacking. His treatment of Rumi's works is not second to the more well-known Rumi translator Coleman Barks. This book is a more than worthy addition to one's bookshelf whether it is one's first or fifth encounter with Rumi. Rumi's works were a labor of love, so was the creation of "Words of Paradise: Selected Poems of Rumi" for Raficq Abdulla and the team at Frances Lincoln publishing company.

in this book of selected poems by rumi, interpreted by raficq abdulla, illustrated with persian and islamic manuscripts and published for the "bargain" aisles of barnes & noble, i found the most extraordinary introduction to islamic poetry. i am interested in reading more about islam, because i don't understand it at all, and i want to learn more from the poets about the kind of belief system that inspires young men to commit a bloody jihad in the name of allah and the 41 virgins. i will never understand 911, or where that kind of hate comes from, or the perpetuating historical circumstances that continue to fan the flames of hate from arabs toward jews, jews toward arabs, arabs toward america, america toward arabs. i will never understand how the muslims i've met and loved, observed from afar as a friend or neighbor or fellow mom, can be part of the culture of terrorists we take off our shoes at airports because of.... i imagine these terrorists are like the clansmen of my race--ones i would not claim as indicative of my kind of christianity. and since we are at war because of some disagreement among the gods, and the contempt their devotion inspires, i thought i might spend a little holiday time learning what i could from this very beautiful and intriguingly affordable book. on the whole, this work is eloquent, beautifully illustrated, an extraordinary and in some places highly erotic interpretation of islamic devotion. in abdulla's introduction, he says, "reading rumi's poetry is like making love. we should be ready to lose ourselves in it, as only then will we find the Other, that greater energy which contains us." he is right, of course, the learned man who interprets this extraordinary work, and conveys the author's meaning with a devoted touch. i could not bring myself to write in this gem of a book due, in part, to the pure beauty of the illustrations, with each page appearing as a piece of art. where usually i regard my scribbling as a way of loving a book better, this edition kept me wanting to preserve the pristine pages. as a consequence, i cannot list for you, as i usually do, all the brilliant lines and passages that affected me so deeply. another difficulty i face is in telling you about the individual poems--as they are unnamed. there is, however, scripture like notations at the bottom of each passage. one i particularly love, for the universal story of acceptance of all religions, is mathnavi ii, 3668. with deference to the author, rumi, and his interpreter, abdulla, i will retell this one work here: o friend do you see this sky-planted tree of knowledge, you who know? see how high, how generous the rich tapestry of shade from it flows, the merciful vein of water as great as life-giving as pliant as the ocean. but in your ignorance you see only the opaque husks, the futile motions of forms, for you fail to drink from the fountain-head of the one: you only see the names which crush and crowd the traffic of

A delightful book which stands out through the beauty of its art work, and even more through the power of its poetic vision. Raficq Abdulla has brought this 700-year-old poet and mystic to life in a way which speaks to those who are seeking an experience of Rumi's spirituality, but equally those who delight in the sheer sensuousness of his erotic imagery. Although the poems are well grounded in the spirit of Rumi's originals, Mr Abdulla hasn't shied away from interpreting them in a way that is inclusive of his modern audience - notably, the earthly image of the heavenly Beloved is no longer exclusively male, much in keeping with more modern perceptions of the nature of God. Altogether, the poems provide a delicious taste from Rumi's cup of Love.