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The Flame of Love: Rumi's 100 Most Passionate Poems
A smoldering collection of 100 never-before-translated love poems by master poet Rumi that will set fire to even the iciest of hearts. Accompanied by charming illustrations throughout, The Flame of Love explores the depths of passion, longing, and loss through Rumi's timeless verses.The Flame of Love is an alluring collection of 100 never-before-translated love poems by world-renowned poet Rumi. Immerse yourself in the enchanting world of Rumi’s words as he explores the depths of love, passion, and longing through his timeless verses. Rumi, a thirteenth-century Persian Sufi mystic, is widely regarded as one of the greatest poets in history. The Flame of Love unveils a new facet of Rumi’s brilliance, featuring lesser-known love poems that capture the complexities of love in all its forms. TIMELESS AND UNIVERSAL: This carefully curated collection features love poetry that transcends time, showcasing the powerful depths of human emotion. Rumi’s lyrical verses will resonate with readers from all walks of life. 100 NEVER-BEFORE-TRANSLATED POEMS: The Flame of Love brings together 100 never-before-translated poems by Rumi, offering readers a fresh and unique glimpse into the master poet’s work. THOUGHTFUL With an elegant cover and charming illustrations throughout, this beautifully designed book is a romantic gift that any poetry lover will cherish for years to come.
144 pages, Hardcover
Published March 18, 2025
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65 people want to read
About the author
Jalal ad-Din Muhammad ar-Rumi
1,170 books15.7k followersSufism inspired writings of Persian poet and mystic Jalal ad-Din Muhammad ar-Rumi; these writings express the longing of the soul for union with the divine.
Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī - also known as Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Balkhī, Mevlânâ/Mawlānā (مولانا, "our master"), Mevlevî/Mawlawī (مولوی, "my master") and more popularly simply as Rumi - was a 13th-century Persian poet, jurist, Islamic scholar, theologian and Sufi mystic who lived in Konya, a city of Ottoman Empire (Today's Turkey). 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.
His poetry has influenced Persian literature, but also Turkish, Ottoman Turkish, Azerbaijani, Punjabi, Hindi, and Urdu, as well as the literature of some other Turkic, Iranian, and Indo-Aryan languages including Chagatai, Pashto, and Bengali.
Due to quarrels between different dynasties in Khorāṣān, opposition to the Khwarizmid Shahs who were considered devious by his father, Bahā ud-Dīn Wālad or fear of the impending Mongol cataclysm, his father decided to migrate westwards, eventually settling in the Anatolian city Konya, where he lived most of his life, composed one of the crowning glories of Persian literature, and profoundly affected the culture of the area.
When his father died, Rumi, aged 25, inherited his position as the head of an Islamic school. One of Baha' ud-Din's students, Sayyed Burhan ud-Din Muhaqqiq Termazi, continued to train Rumi in the Shariah as well as the Tariqa, especially that of Rumi's father. For nine years, Rumi practised Sufism as a disciple of Burhan ud-Din until the latter died in 1240 or 1241. Rumi's public life then began: he became an Islamic Jurist, issuing fatwas and giving sermons in the mosques of Konya. He also served as a Molvi (Islamic teacher) and taught his adherents in the madrassa. During this period, Rumi also travelled to Damascus and is said to have spent four years there.
It was his meeting with the dervish Shams-e Tabrizi on 15 November 1244 that completely changed his life. From an accomplished teacher and jurist, Rumi was transformed into an ascetic.
On the night of 5 December 1248, as Rumi and Shams were talking, Shams was called to the back door. He went out, never to be seen again. Rumi's love for, and his bereavement at the death of, Shams found their expression in an outpouring of lyric poems, Divan-e Shams-e Tabrizi. He himself went out searching for Shams and journeyed again to Damascus.
Rumi found another companion in Salaḥ ud-Din-e Zarkub, a goldsmith. After Salah ud-Din's death, Rumi's scribe and favourite student, Hussam-e Chalabi, assumed the role of Rumi's companion. Hussam implored Rumi to write more. Rumi spent the next 12 years of his life in Anatolia dictating the six volumes of this masterwork, the Masnavi, to Hussam.
In December 1273, Rumi fell ill and died on the 17th of December in Konya.
Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī - also known as Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Balkhī, Mevlânâ/Mawlānā (مولانا, "our master"), Mevlevî/Mawlawī (مولوی, "my master") and more popularly simply as Rumi - was a 13th-century Persian poet, jurist, Islamic scholar, theologian and Sufi mystic who lived in Konya, a city of Ottoman Empire (Today's Turkey). 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.
His poetry has influenced Persian literature, but also Turkish, Ottoman Turkish, Azerbaijani, Punjabi, Hindi, and Urdu, as well as the literature of some other Turkic, Iranian, and Indo-Aryan languages including Chagatai, Pashto, and Bengali.
Due to quarrels between different dynasties in Khorāṣān, opposition to the Khwarizmid Shahs who were considered devious by his father, Bahā ud-Dīn Wālad or fear of the impending Mongol cataclysm, his father decided to migrate westwards, eventually settling in the Anatolian city Konya, where he lived most of his life, composed one of the crowning glories of Persian literature, and profoundly affected the culture of the area.
When his father died, Rumi, aged 25, inherited his position as the head of an Islamic school. One of Baha' ud-Din's students, Sayyed Burhan ud-Din Muhaqqiq Termazi, continued to train Rumi in the Shariah as well as the Tariqa, especially that of Rumi's father. For nine years, Rumi practised Sufism as a disciple of Burhan ud-Din until the latter died in 1240 or 1241. Rumi's public life then began: he became an Islamic Jurist, issuing fatwas and giving sermons in the mosques of Konya. He also served as a Molvi (Islamic teacher) and taught his adherents in the madrassa. During this period, Rumi also travelled to Damascus and is said to have spent four years there.
It was his meeting with the dervish Shams-e Tabrizi on 15 November 1244 that completely changed his life. From an accomplished teacher and jurist, Rumi was transformed into an ascetic.
On the night of 5 December 1248, as Rumi and Shams were talking, Shams was called to the back door. He went out, never to be seen again. Rumi's love for, and his bereavement at the death of, Shams found their expression in an outpouring of lyric poems, Divan-e Shams-e Tabrizi. He himself went out searching for Shams and journeyed again to Damascus.
Rumi found another companion in Salaḥ ud-Din-e Zarkub, a goldsmith. After Salah ud-Din's death, Rumi's scribe and favourite student, Hussam-e Chalabi, assumed the role of Rumi's companion. Hussam implored Rumi to write more. Rumi spent the next 12 years of his life in Anatolia dictating the six volumes of this masterwork, the Masnavi, to Hussam.
In December 1273, Rumi fell ill and died on the 17th of December in Konya.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 3, 2025
I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher for promotional purposes.
What a beautiful collection of poems!
Going into this, I was only vaguely familiar with Rumi and his poetry. I was always curious about his work and I’m happy I finally read it.
I love that the translator gave a ton of context to the poems. The book opens with notes on the transliteration, Rumi’s life, and on the poems. Because of this, I had a firm understanding on the background of the poems. Additionally, some of the poems had their own footnotes, further enhancing the reading experience. The footnotes were very helpful in understanding the meaning of the poem.
The poems are split into 3 sections: Yearning For Love, Savoring Love, and Mourning Love. I liked this organization scheme; it made sense and felt very organic. My favorite section was Mourning Love because I love heartbreak poems.
Like all poetry collections, some poems were a hit and some were a miss. This collection had more hits than misses. As the title suggests, the poems are very passionate.
Lastly, I have to talk about the book itself. It is so gorgeous, both inside and out. The outside features a stunning blue fabric cover and a red ribbon bookmark. The pages are thick with the red and blue color scheme continuing inside with motifs throughout. This book would make an amazing gift.
Overall, this was a spirited collection of poems. If you enjoy love poems, be sure to check this one out.
What a beautiful collection of poems!
Going into this, I was only vaguely familiar with Rumi and his poetry. I was always curious about his work and I’m happy I finally read it.
I love that the translator gave a ton of context to the poems. The book opens with notes on the transliteration, Rumi’s life, and on the poems. Because of this, I had a firm understanding on the background of the poems. Additionally, some of the poems had their own footnotes, further enhancing the reading experience. The footnotes were very helpful in understanding the meaning of the poem.
The poems are split into 3 sections: Yearning For Love, Savoring Love, and Mourning Love. I liked this organization scheme; it made sense and felt very organic. My favorite section was Mourning Love because I love heartbreak poems.
Like all poetry collections, some poems were a hit and some were a miss. This collection had more hits than misses. As the title suggests, the poems are very passionate.
Lastly, I have to talk about the book itself. It is so gorgeous, both inside and out. The outside features a stunning blue fabric cover and a red ribbon bookmark. The pages are thick with the red and blue color scheme continuing inside with motifs throughout. This book would make an amazing gift.
Overall, this was a spirited collection of poems. If you enjoy love poems, be sure to check this one out.
Read
March 6, 2025writing just as a note to self not to support this publication if people recommend it to me! as the translator is a racist! and perhaps insane! more on the notes xoxo
March 24, 2025
Five stars because this book accomplishes its goal and is super interesting. The poems were great, but I loved the foot notes too because they gave great insight to culture and language and the story of Rumi and Shams. A gold mine for those interested in Persian history, culture, and language. Beautiful book too.
April 12, 2025
I thought I would’ve enjoyed it a lot more, perhaps if Persian transliterations were beside each line of English I would’ve liked it more
November 12, 2025
it was great to read a nuanced translation like this. if I'm honest, I would've loved the translator's (optional) interpretation as well (think of Seamus Heaney Beowulf translation). I can understand wanting it to be left to our interpretation too but I just think us Rumi readers would like a professional's take too. I've seen the translator speak and some NYC events and that kind of in-depth explanation can be found reading this IF such an interpretation section existed. Overall a beautifully designed book, and it was wonderful reading an authentic translation of some of Rumi's more famous quatrains we find plastered all over social media.
Rumi deserves even more glory than Western Canon writers, poets and thinkers (yes I said it) and this translator can definitely set itself even more apart with nuanced suggestions after each poem is translated. he definitely has the skills for it. hopefully his next published book will include such a thing!
Rumi deserves even more glory than Western Canon writers, poets and thinkers (yes I said it) and this translator can definitely set itself even more apart with nuanced suggestions after each poem is translated. he definitely has the skills for it. hopefully his next published book will include such a thing!
May 12, 2025
This was my first experience with Rumi, and I have to say it didn't disappoint at all! I really enjoyed most of the poems, they felt really special and unique. A great collection, but I would have loved to see a wider variety of themes.
October 21, 2025
Another beautiful collection of Rumi’s poetry! The book itself is gorgeous - cloth bound and pretty floral designs throughout.
Read
December 18, 2025A beautiful book of some of Rumi's poems.
January 5, 2026
poems that capture so many of the different moods of love
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews