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The Essential Rumi, New Expanded Edition

Written by: Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi,Coleman Barks - translator,John Moyne - translator,A. J. Arberry - translator,Reynold Nicholson - translator
Narrated by: Robertson Dean
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Publisher's Summary

This revised and expanded edition of The Essential Rumi includes a new introduction by Coleman Barks and more than 80 never-before-published poems.

Through his lyrical translations, Coleman Barks has been instrumental in bringing this exquisite literature to a remarkably wide range of listeners, making the ecstatic, spiritual poetry of 13th-century Sufi mystic Rumi more popular than ever.

The Essential Rumi continues to be the best-selling of all Rumi books and the definitive selection of his beautiful, mystical poetry.

©2018 Coleman Barks, John Moyne, A.J. Arberry, Reynold Nicholson (P)2018 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

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What listeners say about The Essential Rumi, New Expanded Edition

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  • FRP
  • 2022-05-14

The title says it all. Essential.

For all lovers of Rumi, new and longtime this is the pinnacle of the spoken word. Well worth listening to many times. Perhaps my favourite audio book presentation. Barks has touched the hem of Rumi’s robe and brought back the timeless message of Shams. I laughed, I cried and I danced. Thank you!

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Great Meditations

A Rumi a day helps sanity stay💫
Highly recommended for a Great drift before bed...
Enjoy💛

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  • G. Vidal
  • 2020-04-09

Disappointed

I have never read Rumis writings although I have seen the occasional Instagram post with a poem of his.

As I listened to it, I was really not impressed. It felt like something was off or missing. I wasn't sure if it was the translation or just the poems themselves.

Then I looked at some of the bad reviews and saw that the translator doesn't speak farsi and that this is just not a good translation. That is a bad western modernization of Rumi. Those accusations made sense after listening to the book.

I think you can still draw wisdom from this and certain poems, but ultimately I recommend looking elsewhere

36 people found this helpful

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  • Darwin8u
  • 2020-06-18

A gnostic says little, but inside...

"A gnostic says little, but inside he is full of mysteries."
- Rumi

God I love Rumi. Obviously, I'm not the only one. But beyond just poetry, I have always loved the mystical side of the major religions. Sufism, Zen, the Kabbalists, and gnostic anything. I think there is a truth that floats in the dance and patter of thy mystics that the dogmatic and the bureaucratic impulses of religion miss. Still, it isn't just Rumi's take on God (although I could make an argument that ALL his poems thread back to God), but his take on friendship, love, sex, wine, nature, etc., that all stand out. Rumi feels like a silk strand that connects the earth to the divine. It twists and flutters, but never breaks. His words just dance and remind us that the divine exists and the divine is closer than we imagine.

I read this book right as the Coronavirus hit, but previous to this recent apocalypse, I took my wife and kids to Istanbul and one of the highlights was watching the dervishes in Galata twirl as the poetry of Rumi was chanted in a small, beautiful space, men spinning to God while the world seemed ready to veer into chaos.

22 people found this helpful

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  • Jambo Jamz
  • 2018-10-11

Each passage is like a mouth watering kiss!!!

Enticing, seductive, tempting, lushcious, exciting, enlightening...need I say more???
A must read that will leave you gasping for more.

20 people found this helpful

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  • Jung Days
  • 2018-11-03

Absolutely beautiful

Love Rumi. The reader is fantastic. So good I revisit sections on my commute. X

14 people found this helpful

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  • Rita
  • 2020-12-23

Fooled!

I thought Coleman Barks was the narrator of this collection. Very disappointed in the listening experience. I’d really like to exchange this and get Rumi read by Coleman Barks.
Disappointed

7 people found this helpful

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  • ryz
  • 2019-10-22

Scandalous, blasphemous and slyly anti-Islamic

Nothing to do with Rumi’s writings. This is a false title. This is covert agenda of demonizing Islam and Prophet Mohammed. Making fun of Muslims, their beliefs. Some of the stories are outrageous and totally unacceptable.

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  • E M M
  • 2021-11-01

Shady story plus terrible narration

The narration is bad, but even worse the story was a bit shady and concocted to drive an agenda. Please avoid this book and anything related to author and narrator. Book missed the point that Rumi was a spiritual leader first, poet second. The whole wine section screams fake. Please find better Rumi books.

4 people found this helpful

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  • Garrett T. Browning
  • 2019-06-14

Remarkable

A delicious banquet of Rumi's offerings to our timeless world -- no matter your particular path.

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  • Catherine Puma
  • 2022-08-05

Wise Sufi Spiritual Poetry

This collection of 13th-Century Sufi mystic Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi's spiritual poetry is the revised and extended edition translated by Coleman Barks. This being my first foray into Rumi's mystical poetry, I extremely appreciated the brief introductions to each section which I used as guideposts for greater appreciation and more thoughtful interpretation of the work therein. This is expertly narrated by Robertson Dean and includes 80 newly published poems, so I also recommend this Blackstone Audio production to veteran readers of Rumi's work.

How fascinating this collection is! There is so much to unpack here.

Rumi moves between the mundane and the celestial, the physical experience and the spiritual world to explain human behavior and provide words of wisdom. As a Roman Catholic, I latched onto the ways in which this renown Sufi author and I might perceive our spirituality more similarly than we differ. Though Rumi interprets Jesus' life differently than I, there is still so much to gain by reading Rumi's poetry about Jesus and other religious leaders, like Moses. Anyone who knows me knows how much I love Moses. Anyone who loves the Bible parables Jesus uses to explain difficult realities to his followers will deeply enjoy Rumi's poetic style.

I'm so glad I listened to this and I highly recommend it to many. I only give this 4 out of 5 stars because it is quite dense; I had to listen to it in bits and pieces so I wouldn't just tune out from burnout.

3 people found this helpful

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  • Kindle Customer
  • 2022-04-24

Who did this?

Really? Rumi talking about Mary Jesus and Jewish dialogue when he was devirish and Moslem scholar and teacher….again really trying to erase the truth here.

1 person found this helpful