Rumi: A New Collection

by Farrukh Dhondy

Love, devotion, suffering and longing mysteriously co-exist in the poems of Jalal-ud-din Rumi. Composed almost eight centuries ago, the deep spirituality and buoyant wisdom of the poems are a source of inspiration to millions today. Farrukh Dhondy's translations not only offer a modern idiom to the poems, but also faithfully keep intact their religious context. With selections from Rumi's masterpieces the Masnavi and Diwan-e-Shams, as well as his ghazals, this volume is a poetry lover's treasure-trove.

Genres: Poetry, Spirituality

118 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 15, 2020

About the author

Farrukh Dhondy is an Indian-born British writer, playwright, screenwriter and left-wing activist of Parsi descent. He is well known not only for his writing, but also for his film and TV work.

Reviews

[Kartik Chauhan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Circuitous, sometimes repetitive, but overall an enjoyable collection. Interesting to read how Rumi has been misread over time by multiple translators.

‘You are held captive in freedom's embrace
A prisoner of that very freedom's quest.
Seek nothing but the hollow of the reed
And put your beating restless heart to rest.
Seek only that which is beyond seeking.
Drown yourself in the radiance of the Lord.
The self you seek to free is an illusion
And this drowning is your first step toward
The joyous annihilation of that self
So, hearing this the harpist cast aside
The disciplines of our earthly music
Abandoning harmonies that divide.’

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

The new collection is a simplistic projection of soulful poetry. While the interpretation can be vastly discussed and speculated, I believe that to assert the correct exactness of them would be impossible to fathom. Rumi has been known for his elegant writing style with Sufi mystic. Through these amazing translations, his verses rightfully has a power to carry a reader beyond the known resemblance of the universe to an ideally expressed world. After reading a few of the poems, I came to know why the readers who adore Rumi, address his writings as "Poems that will speak to you" because one doesn't just read poetry, they feel the words, the weight they carry, the impact they create and a beguiling satisfaction of graceful reading experience.

[Adiba · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is less that has not already been said of the merit of Rumi's verse. An ethereal concoction of spiritual wisdom and higher metaphysical meaning, Rumi's poems do the extraordinary job of endowing the spiritual light and mystical message that is central to Sufi tradition to the reader, in the context of their everyday experience and seemingly mundane acts. His poems give you new eyes to see all the plethora of universal phenomena we experience as humans such as life, death, love, longing and weave a coherence between that and the quest of the 'beloved' i.e., God.⁣⁣
☆⁣⁣
Farrukh Dhondy does an excellent job at retaining the Sufi identity of the poems while translating them and I'm so glad to see this for a change, because just as Dhondy explains in his shared insight, most modern translations of Rumi are problematic at so many levels. They either have none of the intended essence of the original or if they somehow retain it, they lose the musicality, key to Rumi's works, the rhyme and meter of it; and end up not even closely resembling it. Farrukh Dhondy has well explained his own approach while compiling the work. Hence the book wins from all the measures. I would insist you pick this wonderful, tasteful collection or even the preceding one by Farrukh Dhondy if you are looking to indulge in the spiritual nourishment of only one of it's kind, in Rumi's words.⁣⁣

[Utpal Pathak · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very prolific collection of poems and verses from Rumi, which will make you love deeply!
There were many a great verses that touched the very soul and heart of mine, and made me feel that it's a privilege to read such great piece of art!
In the end, a few poems were too much focused on God and whatever, but overall it was a worthwhile reading experience!

[Nandana Dutta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gives a surreal feeling. There are stanzas where Rumi tells normies that there are things that we cannot imagine, things beyond our intelligence. Those are the moments where you feel heavenly curious and difficult to comprehend with such little knowledge. It’s a beautiful read because it tapped onto some untouched centres of my brain that are not easily shown.