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Rumi: Soul Fury: Rumi and Shams Tabriz on Friendship – A Stunning Translation of Medieval Sufi Poetry on Love and Spirituality
In this seminal collection of Rumi poetry—the medieval Sufi mystic who is the most popular poet in America—and his “soul friend,” Shams Tabriz, foremost Rumi translator and author of The Essential Rumi Coleman Barks focuses on friendship and love. Soul Fury is a must-own book for every Rumi fan.
In this stunning translation, Coleman Barks brings to light Rumi’s theme of “love as religion”—that to reach its most profound depths requires mindful practice—as well as love in its most meaningful soul friendship. These short poems by both Rumi and Shams Tabriz, rich in beauty and spiritual insight, capture the delight and the impermanence of these bonds that pierce deep into the human mind, heart, and soul.
Rumi’s poetry is honored and enjoyed by many traditions and cultures. Today, many people from all walks of life have moved beyond traditional notions of spirituality, embracing a sense of the sacred that transcends a singular religion, belief, or text. Rumi’s poetry speaks to them and nourishes their divine yearnings. Joyous and contemplative, provocative and playful, Soul Fury is a sterling addition to the modern Rumi oeuvre, and is sure to be embraced by his wide and devoted readership.
In this stunning translation, Coleman Barks brings to light Rumi’s theme of “love as religion”—that to reach its most profound depths requires mindful practice—as well as love in its most meaningful soul friendship. These short poems by both Rumi and Shams Tabriz, rich in beauty and spiritual insight, capture the delight and the impermanence of these bonds that pierce deep into the human mind, heart, and soul.
Rumi’s poetry is honored and enjoyed by many traditions and cultures. Today, many people from all walks of life have moved beyond traditional notions of spirituality, embracing a sense of the sacred that transcends a singular religion, belief, or text. Rumi’s poetry speaks to them and nourishes their divine yearnings. Joyous and contemplative, provocative and playful, Soul Fury is a sterling addition to the modern Rumi oeuvre, and is sure to be embraced by his wide and devoted readership.
277 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 14, 2014
188 people are currently reading
715 people want to read
About the author
Coleman Barks
99 books246 followersColeman Barks is an American poet. Despite the fact that he admittedly speaks no Persian, he is world-renowned as a translator of Rumi and other mystic poets of Persia. Barks taught literature at the University of Georgia for three decades. He makes frequent international appearances and is well-known throughout the Middle East. Barks's work has contributed to an extremely strong following of Rumi in the English-speaking world. Due to his work, the ideas of Sufism have crossed many cultural boundaries over the past few decades. Coleman Barks received an honorary doctorate from Tehran University in 2006.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
January 27, 2015
This is truly an incredible book, and has changed the way I look at friendship. For anyone fascinated by the soul, spiritual poetry, or friendship, especially by the friendship of Rumi and Shams of Tabriz, one of the greatest creative mysteries of all time, get your hands on this book! Reading about their relationship and the poetry they both penned, all incredibly presented and translated by Coleman Barks, who I believe is a genius, has allowed me to see connections in an entirely different way, as "soul friendships.”
This compilation by Barks is truly a gift to all readers and lovers of Rumi! It is just as stellar as many of his other bestselling translations such as The Big Red Book, Bridge to the Soul, The Essential Rumi and The Book of Love, all of which I have read.
Some of my favorite passages from Soul Fury are below. Half of the book is the words of Rumi, the other half from Shams of Tabriz. What a beautiful homage to their friendship.
A warm, rainy day—this is how
it feels when friends get together.
Friend refreshes friend then,
as flowers do each other,
in a spring rain.
Your soul knows all about everything,
whether you say anything or not.
We are a brush in the hand of the mystery
that is painting this soul-making universe.
Your friends, the beloveds,
all live within the circle of BE!
The heart is
a point of union—moreso
than even the sky.
I came here for the refuge of friendship.
For someone with whom I can be true to myself,
no hypocrisy, no pretending anything.
Search within yourself. The great mystery is there.
From this compilation, we can see clearly that the deepest union of souls can be in the freedom of friendship!
This compilation by Barks is truly a gift to all readers and lovers of Rumi! It is just as stellar as many of his other bestselling translations such as The Big Red Book, Bridge to the Soul, The Essential Rumi and The Book of Love, all of which I have read.
Some of my favorite passages from Soul Fury are below. Half of the book is the words of Rumi, the other half from Shams of Tabriz. What a beautiful homage to their friendship.
A warm, rainy day—this is how
it feels when friends get together.
Friend refreshes friend then,
as flowers do each other,
in a spring rain.
Your soul knows all about everything,
whether you say anything or not.
We are a brush in the hand of the mystery
that is painting this soul-making universe.
Your friends, the beloveds,
all live within the circle of BE!
The heart is
a point of union—moreso
than even the sky.
I came here for the refuge of friendship.
For someone with whom I can be true to myself,
no hypocrisy, no pretending anything.
Search within yourself. The great mystery is there.
From this compilation, we can see clearly that the deepest union of souls can be in the freedom of friendship!
April 5, 2016
I’m unsure of how to review such a beautiful collection with words from Rumi and Shams Tabriz, particularly since I find myself constantly looking for their words - whether it’s a moment filled with pain or one that’s ecstatic, it’s almost hard to think of a day in the last month where I haven’t picked up the book to devour some of their words.
Some lines from the introduction that I have revisited several times. They’ve been reminders of the way poems from this book constantly help, acting like a guiding voice - the kind of voice we’re constantly aching for as we try and understand different kinds of friendships in our lives:
“Rumi’s poetry is very consciously engaged in collaborative listening and making, the friendships and the powerful conversational dynamic going on in and around it there in the moment of its making. The poems come out of his love, and perhaps we love them for the glimpses they give of that, as well as for the light and the grief - for the taste of how it is to be and how it is to be nothing at all.”
Words from this book - Rumi’s and Shams Tabriz’s have been helpful in the process of healing. Apart from identifying and being able to relate to almost everything they are describing, it’s helpful to know and feel grounded. I remember sitting for long hours after reading, just feeling peaceful because of the way the words are filled with kindness and reminders of love.
I’ve had this in my shelf for a while but I only read it this month and I’m so glad I did because it helped me re-realise the importance of just sitting down and reading or writing without constantly worrying or feeling rushed. To try to feel the ‘here’ and be in the ‘now’.
“This bird is free of its cage.
This cage, released of its bird.
Both so empty, so ecstatic,
that they let fragrance come
through this song, eternity in tears."
Some lines from the introduction that I have revisited several times. They’ve been reminders of the way poems from this book constantly help, acting like a guiding voice - the kind of voice we’re constantly aching for as we try and understand different kinds of friendships in our lives:
“Rumi’s poetry is very consciously engaged in collaborative listening and making, the friendships and the powerful conversational dynamic going on in and around it there in the moment of its making. The poems come out of his love, and perhaps we love them for the glimpses they give of that, as well as for the light and the grief - for the taste of how it is to be and how it is to be nothing at all.”
Words from this book - Rumi’s and Shams Tabriz’s have been helpful in the process of healing. Apart from identifying and being able to relate to almost everything they are describing, it’s helpful to know and feel grounded. I remember sitting for long hours after reading, just feeling peaceful because of the way the words are filled with kindness and reminders of love.
I’ve had this in my shelf for a while but I only read it this month and I’m so glad I did because it helped me re-realise the importance of just sitting down and reading or writing without constantly worrying or feeling rushed. To try to feel the ‘here’ and be in the ‘now’.
“This bird is free of its cage.
This cage, released of its bird.
Both so empty, so ecstatic,
that they let fragrance come
through this song, eternity in tears."
November 9, 2014
This was a very deep and spiritual book of poetry. One of the bests I have read in 2014. I am sure i will go back and read it again and get even more out of it the second time through. Thank you to GoodReads giveaway for a great win. I highly reccomend do all readers and not just those who love poetry.
July 25, 2015
ثلاثة نجوم للقسم المخصص لجلال الدين الرومي وخمسة نجوم لقسم شمس الدين التبريزي، المحصلة أربعة نجوم
October 20, 2015
Absolutely breathtaking.
August 25, 2019
My few favourite lines from the book-
At the moment of death when your soul is finished with your body, it leaves it on the earth like clothes that you have worn out. Then the soul makes a new light-body out of the source it comes from.
As long as you have not set fire to everything you call yours, you are not alive. You are not here! Your happiness is not real.
God is not all gentleness.
At the moment of death when your soul is finished with your body, it leaves it on the earth like clothes that you have worn out. Then the soul makes a new light-body out of the source it comes from.
As long as you have not set fire to everything you call yours, you are not alive. You are not here! Your happiness is not real.
God is not all gentleness.
July 28, 2015
What a poem...... Every single line of it... some are close to my heart
February 25, 2022
You can't take religion out of Rumi's works, no matter how universalistic you claim to be. There isn't any depth to these words. There's no meaning. It's just translation without soul. I also found the first collection of poems to be somewhat haphazardly arranged. But the second section, Shams was a little better.
November 13, 2014
Disclosure, I received my copy through a Goodreads Giveaway
On the transcription,
Coleman Barks does for Rumi and Shams Tabriz what poets have been doing for centuries. By taking these existing works and transcribing them into his own words while holding on to the meaning as best he can Barks brings Rumi to an audience that isn't scholarly and grew up with poetry as a "dying" form. His years of experience make the Rumi transcriptions some of the best in the series of books he's done on Rumi.
On Rumi,
Rumi's poetry has been considered to hold something for everyone for years, in this collection really illustrates that point. The poems range from religious to secular in tone and carry the theme of the title well.
On Shams Tabriz,
The sayings of Shams don't come across as well as the Rumi transcriptions. On the whole they tell you how Shams viewed friendship, but without the introduction to Shams the transcriptions would have been far less impactful, unlike the Rumi poetry that didn't need the introduction.
On the book as a whole it is an excellent layout and keeps the read engaged through out. The separation of Rumi and Shams helps in viewing the ideas each has and keeps them from blending together in a confusing manner. A scholarly work might have put a poem with a saying that matched up chronologically to show a comparison between the two men, but Barks focuses on the common reader and that really brings each to life.
On the transcription,
Coleman Barks does for Rumi and Shams Tabriz what poets have been doing for centuries. By taking these existing works and transcribing them into his own words while holding on to the meaning as best he can Barks brings Rumi to an audience that isn't scholarly and grew up with poetry as a "dying" form. His years of experience make the Rumi transcriptions some of the best in the series of books he's done on Rumi.
On Rumi,
Rumi's poetry has been considered to hold something for everyone for years, in this collection really illustrates that point. The poems range from religious to secular in tone and carry the theme of the title well.
On Shams Tabriz,
The sayings of Shams don't come across as well as the Rumi transcriptions. On the whole they tell you how Shams viewed friendship, but without the introduction to Shams the transcriptions would have been far less impactful, unlike the Rumi poetry that didn't need the introduction.
On the book as a whole it is an excellent layout and keeps the read engaged through out. The separation of Rumi and Shams helps in viewing the ideas each has and keeps them from blending together in a confusing manner. A scholarly work might have put a poem with a saying that matched up chronologically to show a comparison between the two men, but Barks focuses on the common reader and that really brings each to life.
August 13, 2016
“Love is an ocean without a floor, or an edge,
a drop suspended with all souls drowning in it.
Love is among the most ancient secrets,
containing one small bit of hope.
The rest is awe in the presence
of the one loved.”
page 92
“At the moment of death
when your soul is finished with your body,
it leaves it in the earth
like clothes that you have worn out.
Then the soul makes a new light-body
out of the source it comes from.”
Page 96
Rumi: Soul Fury: Rumi and Shams Tabriz on Friendship
Coleman Barks
August 5, 2015
A fine introduction by Coleman Barks highlights Rumi's deeply spiritual/philosophical work with an eye towards its "universalist" aspects. Much wisdom within this tome.
Read
August 25, 2017As predicted, this masterpiece has the amazing ability to turn a bird alive from stone. It is a collection of short,alluring poems, a must read book for poem lovers.
Read
January 29, 2022There are those who believe that poetry can't be translated, who believe that a poem must be read in its original language to be fully appreciated. I don't know whether or not I agree, but I can think of a number of examples that support this argument - the most egregious example being the Coleman Barks "translations" of Rumi.
Above is a version of a Rumi poem "translated" by Coleman Barks ("translated" in quotes because Barks can neither read nor speak Persian). Below is a literal translation of the same poem.
The poems of Rumi are sacred, and the "translations" of Coleman Barks are profane - as any act of cultural erasure intended to secularize content for an undiserning audience would be considered profane. I urge everyone to seek out better translations, and to read more about these faux-translations here: Persian Poetics
Out beyond ideas
of wrongdoing and rightdoing,
there is a field.
I'll meet you there.
Above is a version of a Rumi poem "translated" by Coleman Barks ("translated" in quotes because Barks can neither read nor speak Persian). Below is a literal translation of the same poem.
Beyond kufr and Islam there is a desert plain,
in that middle space our passions reign.
When the gnostic arrives there he'll prostrate himself,
not kufr, not Islam, nor is thereany space in that domain.
The poems of Rumi are sacred, and the "translations" of Coleman Barks are profane - as any act of cultural erasure intended to secularize content for an undiserning audience would be considered profane. I urge everyone to seek out better translations, and to read more about these faux-translations here: Persian Poetics
May 20, 2019
This book is a masterpiece by Coleman Barks. As the title suggests, 'Rumi and Shams of Tabriz on friendship', this book is a compilation of poetry by Rumi and Shams of Tabriz. Both of them viewed friendship differently. Where Rumi talks about spiritual aspects, Shams of Tabriz highlights the worldly aspect of friendship. Each section of the book gives a little background on Rumi and Shams of Tabriz.
The book sheds light on the fact that Rumis' poetry would not exist if it weren't for Shams. Coleman says, Rumi brings a healing peacefulness and I couldn't agree with him anymore. I felt at peace while reading Quartains of Rumi. The sticky notes are a prove of how much I loved the book.
One of the most Interesting things about this book is, there is explanation of the Quartains in the end (for easy understanding).
▪️
I don't think my review will be able to do a justice to a book this good. Out of all the lines that I fell in love with (over & over again) here's the two of them which stuck:
🔹Listen to yourself and break out of your cage
🔹Try to wake from this dream we live. Don't be afraid. wake up!
The book sheds light on the fact that Rumis' poetry would not exist if it weren't for Shams. Coleman says, Rumi brings a healing peacefulness and I couldn't agree with him anymore. I felt at peace while reading Quartains of Rumi. The sticky notes are a prove of how much I loved the book.
One of the most Interesting things about this book is, there is explanation of the Quartains in the end (for easy understanding).
▪️
I don't think my review will be able to do a justice to a book this good. Out of all the lines that I fell in love with (over & over again) here's the two of them which stuck:
🔹Listen to yourself and break out of your cage
🔹Try to wake from this dream we live. Don't be afraid. wake up!
July 28, 2020
A precious present for a friend if you want to deepen your friendship in an intellectual and spiritual way!
My favourite pieces:
" I have never acted like a master with Rumi. I came here with the understanding that I would not be his teacher. No one has yet lived who could be that!
And I can no longer be anyone's student. That is no longer in me.
I came here for the refuge of friendship.
For someone with whom I can be true to myself, no hypocrisy, no pretending anything.
Most of the great teachers have been hypocrites. They have gone against their own heart's truth." (P. 207-207)
16.
"Discover the world that moves in us like blood, that never stops, never sleeps. It does not matter if wild impulses are there, unconsciousness; it does not matter what flows inside you, because the great shaman, the changer, creation itself, also moves in that bloodlike moving.
That motion is closer to each of us than the big vein on our necks." (P. 29)
My favourite pieces:
" I have never acted like a master with Rumi. I came here with the understanding that I would not be his teacher. No one has yet lived who could be that!
And I can no longer be anyone's student. That is no longer in me.
I came here for the refuge of friendship.
For someone with whom I can be true to myself, no hypocrisy, no pretending anything.
Most of the great teachers have been hypocrites. They have gone against their own heart's truth." (P. 207-207)
16.
"Discover the world that moves in us like blood, that never stops, never sleeps. It does not matter if wild impulses are there, unconsciousness; it does not matter what flows inside you, because the great shaman, the changer, creation itself, also moves in that bloodlike moving.
That motion is closer to each of us than the big vein on our necks." (P. 29)
November 4, 2018
A charming set of quatrains from Rumi and reflections from Shams Tabrizi. It is a friendship match like no other. The spark off each other and point to one another for inspiration. That is the source of great to witness and tap into. Not having read the original text, I can't comment on the fidelity of the translation into English, but Barks does produce a lively and sensible flow to these lovely lines. No much to be faulted here.
December 31, 2019
These poems became part of my everyday travel in the bus. We (I was not the only admirer) used to read couple of them every morning and felt the pure joy of existing in those moments (how one of the poem of Rumi calls it - being drunk because of being). Those were good times.
July 31, 2018
Exceptional, as every Rumi read is...well, those translated by Coleman Barks, for sure.
April 5, 2019
Always enjoy a fresh interpretation of Rumi's poems. The nice thing about this edition was the inclusion of Shams Tabriz's thoughts.
Read
September 24, 2019a great mystic...food for the soul
February 2, 2024
Shams and Rumi are really polar opposites in writing but what they have for each other is so precious.
February 27, 2017
I find myself returning to Rumi again and again, year in and year out, to enjoy his poetry and strive to unlock both its multilayered meanings (which are manifold!). Rumi is one of the greatest spiritual teachers of the 2nd millennium CE, and his universalistic POV is sorely needed in our world today. This book is unique in that it includes verses both by Rumi and his anam cara (soul friend), Shams of Tabriz. Rumi's poems in this volume are (as usual) both simple and profound; I especially enjoyed quatrains #86 & #134. It was a real treat to read some verses by Shams, however, as I was previously unaware that he had written anything at all. It's great to these two visionaries' approaches to the spiritual life, side-by-side, as it were, and learn anew from their friendship and its fruits (poetry!).
December 30, 2016
In 2015, I read Elif Shafak's wonderful book "The Forty Rules of Love" about the friendship between the Sufi poet Rumi and the Dervish Shams Tabriz. When I saw this set of quatrains by Rumi on friendship and set of excerpts from the sayings of Shams Tabriz I couldn't resist it. It's not a large book but it's full of lovely poems on vignettes. It also has a set of notes at the back.
September 15, 2016
My curiosity about Shams Tabriz , and the impact of his presence in Rumi's life ... Is so eloquently answered by this rich work of research by Coleman Barks.
An evocative, enriching book on Rumi's work and the enigmatic friendship he shared with Shams Tabriz.
An evocative, enriching book on Rumi's work and the enigmatic friendship he shared with Shams Tabriz.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews