Free Downloads Islamic Mystical Poetry: Sufi Verse From The Early Mystics To Rumi (Penguin Classics)
Written from the ninth to the twentieth century, these poems represent the peak of Islamic Mystical writing, from Rabia Basri to Mian Mohammad Baksh. Reflecting both private devotional love and the attempt to attain union with God and become absorbed into the Divine, many poems in this edition are imbued with the symbols and metaphors that develop many of the central ideas of Sufism: the Lover, the Beloved, the Wine, and the Tavern; while others are more personal and echo the poet's battle to leave earthly love behind. These translations capture the passion of the original poetry and are accompanied by an introduction on Sufism and the common themes apparent in the works. This edition also includes suggested further reading.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
Series: Penguin Classics
Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Penguin Classics; 1 edition (January 26, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0140424733
ISBN-13: 978-0140424737
Product Dimensions: 5 x 0.9 x 8 inches
Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #141,190 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #24 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Islam > Sufism #38 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Poetry > Regional & Cultural > Middle Eastern #43 in Books > Literature & Fiction > World Literature > Middle Eastern
It is no exaggeration to say that were i restricted to owning but one book my choice would be Mahmood Jamal's "Islamic Mystical Poetry: Sufi Verse from the Early Mystics to Rumi." And among the poems chosen for this 332-page anthology, I would be sustained above all by the verse which opens the book. It was written by Mohyuddin Ibn 'Arabi (1165-1240), a Spaniard by birth who, Jamal tells us, "is universally acknowledged as the greatest mystic of Islam." It is as follows:"My heart has become capable of every form: it is apasture for gazelles and a convent for Christian monks,And a temple for idols and the pilgrim's Kaaba and theTables of the Torah and the book of the Qur'an.I follow the religion of Love: whatever way Love'sCamels take, that is my religion and my faith."The images and sentiments in this verse thrill. Above all, i am inspired by the appreciation that Ibn 'Arabi expresses for each of the three Abrahamic faiths, a tolerance one needs pray for today. Sufi poetry is most strikingly characterized by recurring references to love, wine-drinking, and ecstatic transports. In some cases, these references are obvious and in other cases more coded, but the general purpose is to express a desire for personal knowledge of the Lord. This goal needs no explanation in a text translation of Abu Hafs Suhrawardi (1145-1234) that is included in the introduction. "The common folk listen to music according to nature, and the novices listen with desire and awe, while the listening of the saints brings them a vision of the Divine gifts and graces, and these are the gnostics to whom listening means contemplation. But finally, there is the listening of the spiritually perfect to whom, through music, God reveals Himself unveiled."
I have not finished the book as yet; this is one of thosethat really is to be enjoyed, thought upon and just quietlysavored.As much of Christian writing does not conform with some ofthe more unsavory parts of our past, so this book reveals a graceand beauty not often seen in Islam. Many of these poets were killed bythe same type of men who martyred saints. Please enjoy.robertrenlow1@comcast.net
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