What do you think?
Rate this book
Masnavi Manavi #1
The Masnavi: Book One
'The pen would smoothly write the things it knew
But when it came to love it split in two,
A donkey stuck in mud is logic's fate -
Love's nature only love can demonstrate.'
Rumi's Masnavi is widely recognized as the greatest Sufi poem ever written, and has been called 'the Koran in Persian'. The thirteenth-century Muslim mystic Rumi composed his work for the benefit of his disciples in the Sufi order named after him, better known as the whirling dervishes. In order to convey his message of divine love and unity he threaded together entertaining stories and penetrating homilies. Drawing from folk tales as well as sacred history, Rumi's poem is often funny as well as spiritually profound.
Jawid Mojaddedi's sparkling new verse translation of Book One is consistent with the aims of the original work in presenting Rumi's most mature mystical teachings in simple and attractive rhyming couplets.
But when it came to love it split in two,
A donkey stuck in mud is logic's fate -
Love's nature only love can demonstrate.'
Rumi's Masnavi is widely recognized as the greatest Sufi poem ever written, and has been called 'the Koran in Persian'. The thirteenth-century Muslim mystic Rumi composed his work for the benefit of his disciples in the Sufi order named after him, better known as the whirling dervishes. In order to convey his message of divine love and unity he threaded together entertaining stories and penetrating homilies. Drawing from folk tales as well as sacred history, Rumi's poem is often funny as well as spiritually profound.
Jawid Mojaddedi's sparkling new verse translation of Book One is consistent with the aims of the original work in presenting Rumi's most mature mystical teachings in simple and attractive rhyming couplets.
304 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1270
501 people are currently reading
6495 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews
October 27, 2017
If you want to read Rumi's poems, the ACTUAL poems, read this book.
This book was suggested to me by a friend of a friend, who has a PhD in Jalaluddin Rumi. He said that this is the best translation of Rumi's poetry available. He also said that Coleman Bark's Rumi book, while gets credit for the spread of Rumi's name in the West, is not actually a translation. What he did with Rumi's poetry is pure paraphrasing and not at all a translation. And it makes sense.
The "Masnavi" comes from the form the poems are written in, where each half-line, or hemistich, of a masnavi poem follows the same metre. This book keeps it that way.
The translator, Jawid Mojaddedi, did an amazing job with keeping the rhyme of the poems while also keeping the core meaning of the poems. The book also did great work regarding the Arabic text and references contained in The Masnavi, as it has a glossary & notes section at the end of the book, which explains the Arabic text, and the Quran verses Rumi referred to in his teachings.
I'll share a few verses I loved,
Being a lover means your heart must ache,
No sickness hurts as much as when hearts break,
The lover's ailment's totally unique,
Love is the astrolabe of all we seek,
Whether you feel divine or earthly love,
Ultimately we're destined for above.
To capture love whatever words I say
Make me ashamed when love arrives my way,
While explanation sometimes makes things clear
True love through silence only one can hear:
The pen would smoothly write the things it knew,
But when it came to love it split in two,
A donkey stuck in mud is logic's fate-
Love's nature only love can demonstrate
This is easily one of my favorite reads this year and I cannot wait to pick up Book 2.
September 17, 2013
This must be the most authentic English translation available of Rumi's masterpiece. It is evident that the author has a vast knowledge of Islamic literature and Sufism. What amazed me the most was how the author kept the verses in rhyme, which must have been a strenuous task, while retaining the essence of the message: a difficult task when translating from Persian (or Arabic) to English. It's also interesting how Rumi sidesteps into other stories in the midst of each main narrative. There is a section as well at the end which explains the Quranic and other references. I think this book definitely lives up, and is true, to Rumi's legacy. Looking forward to book 2!
April 2, 2021
კაცმა რომ მკითხოს, წავიკითხე, მაგრამ ამ წიგნის წაკითხვა რვა თუ ცხრა დღეში შეუძლებელია. ეს იმ იშვიათ წიგნთაგან ერთ-ერთია, რომელიც მთელი ცხოვრების მანძილზე უნდა იკითხო და იკითხო და იკითხო და იკითხო.
სუბიექტურად - აღმოსავლეთი, მისი პოეზია, მისი მსოფლმხედველობა, ენები, აქლემების ცხიმიანი სუნები და უდაბნოები, სუფიზმი, რუმი, მაჯნუნი და ლეილა, ალაჰისა მწყალობლისა, ფერადი ჩუქურთმები და ბევრი მრავალი აღმოსავლური რამ ყოველთვის მიზიდავდა და ახლა ეს დიდებული წიგნი ამ ყველაფრით სავსე ნამდვილი ოაზისი იყო ჩემთვის.
ობიექტურად - უზარმაზარი, ვეებერთელა ცოდნისა და სიბრძნის წიგნია, ულამაზესად დაწერილი, სავსე ალუზიებით, მეტაფორებით, მთელი სუფიზმისა და არ ვიცი, ყურანის გადააზრება ახლებურად. როგორც, მთარგმნელი ამბობდა სიუჟეტურად დიდი მდინარეა, ათასად და ასიათასად დატოტვილი, სხვადასხვა პატარა მდინარეებით სავსე.
ერთმა ჭკვიანმა კაცმა იხუმრა, არ არსებობს არანაირი აღმოსავლური სიბრძნე, ხალხი აღმოსავლეთშიც და დასავლეთშიც ერთნაირად იდიოტიაო. ვეთანხმები, იდიოტები ერთნაირად არიან, მაგრამ რუმი რომ ბრძენია და თან აღმოსავლურად ბრძენია, მაგაში ვერავინ გადამარწმუნებს.
♥️
სუბიექტურად - აღმოსავლეთი, მისი პოეზია, მისი მსოფლმხედველობა, ენები, აქლემების ცხიმიანი სუნები და უდაბნოები, სუფიზმი, რუმი, მაჯნუნი და ლეილა, ალაჰისა მწყალობლისა, ფერადი ჩუქურთმები და ბევრი მრავალი აღმოსავლური რამ ყოველთვის მიზიდავდა და ახლა ეს დიდებული წიგნი ამ ყველაფრით სავსე ნამდვილი ოაზისი იყო ჩემთვის.
ობიექტურად - უზარმაზარი, ვეებერთელა ცოდნისა და სიბრძნის წიგნია, ულამაზესად დაწერილი, სავსე ალუზიებით, მეტაფორებით, მთელი სუფიზმისა და არ ვიცი, ყურანის გადააზრება ახლებურად. როგორც, მთარგმნელი ამბობდა სიუჟეტურად დიდი მდინარეა, ათასად და ასიათასად დატოტვილი, სხვადასხვა პატარა მდინარეებით სავსე.
ერთმა ჭკვიანმა კაცმა იხუმრა, არ არსებობს არანაირი აღმოსავლური სიბრძნე, ხალხი აღმოსავლეთშიც და დასავლეთშიც ერთნაირად იდიოტიაო. ვეთანხმები, იდიოტები ერთნაირად არიან, მაგრამ რუმი რომ ბრძენია და თან აღმოსავლურად ბრძენია, მაგაში ვერავინ გადამარწმუნებს.
♥️
November 3, 2020
This is probably THE most accurate translation of Rumi’s masnavi in the English language, so anyone wanting to read him should get these editions! As well as retaining the rhyme scheme that is in the original Persian, Mojaddedi clearly has vast knowledge of sufism, the Quran & the Persian language (as the explanatory notes clearly show) so he is always able to further explain the underlying symbolism in Rumi’s ghazals.
Translation comments aside, Rumi’s wisdom never fails to amaze me and all I can say is his words are like nourishment for the soul <3
Translation comments aside, Rumi’s wisdom never fails to amaze me and all I can say is his words are like nourishment for the soul <3
February 15, 2017
Menyusur Masnawi atau Masnavi ini, ibarat kita berkelok di sebuah sungai yang jernih tetapi dalam dari lubuk hati peribadi dalam sebuah pelayaran menuju ke samudera yang memberikan pengalaman hakiki terhadap realiti kewujudan dan rahsia roh.
Membaca Masnawi selepas tingkap kefahaman dibuka sedikit untuk memahami tauhid dalam pandangan alam sufi dan konsep wujud atau ontologi seperti yang cuba diterjemahkan oleh ulama ahlillah ke bahasa akal, banyak membantu saya khususnya cuba menggapai perlambangan yang digunakan dan menyelami hikmah yang diungkapkan.
Masnawi menjadi dalil bagaimana Maulana Jalaluddin Balkhi Rumi mengubah pengetahuan dari luaran menjadi ilmu hakiki dan cinta abadi yang menyuburkan jiwa. Semoga hikmah dan barakah yang menghidupkan karya ini sepanjang zaman dapat meresap bukan saja kepada pengalaman pembacaan, bahkan lebih penting adalah ke dalam jiwa rohani dan nurani.
Buku ini antara karya yang patut dikunjungi semula dari semasa ke semasa.
Membaca Masnawi selepas tingkap kefahaman dibuka sedikit untuk memahami tauhid dalam pandangan alam sufi dan konsep wujud atau ontologi seperti yang cuba diterjemahkan oleh ulama ahlillah ke bahasa akal, banyak membantu saya khususnya cuba menggapai perlambangan yang digunakan dan menyelami hikmah yang diungkapkan.
Masnawi menjadi dalil bagaimana Maulana Jalaluddin Balkhi Rumi mengubah pengetahuan dari luaran menjadi ilmu hakiki dan cinta abadi yang menyuburkan jiwa. Semoga hikmah dan barakah yang menghidupkan karya ini sepanjang zaman dapat meresap bukan saja kepada pengalaman pembacaan, bahkan lebih penting adalah ke dalam jiwa rohani dan nurani.
Buku ini antara karya yang patut dikunjungi semula dari semasa ke semasa.
August 11, 2016
"A man knocked on his lover's door one day,
'Who is it?' he heard his beloved say.
He said, 'Its me.'She answered, 'Leave at once
There isn't room for such raw arrogance.'
Raw meat's cooked just by separation's flame-
What can cure hypocrisy's deep shame.
He wondered off in pain as his heart burnt,
In exile from the one he yearned,
Matured before then going back once more
And walking to and fro outside her door.
He tapped the door now suffering nerves inside,
Not to let slip a wrong word how he tried!
His sweetheart now responded by asking who
Was at the door -- 'None, love, but you'
'Now you are I, please enter in this place
Because for two in here there isn't space'
Also called 'Quran in Persian', Masnavi is one of best Sufi works. It goes into six volumes and is full of Sufi lessons. What I found so beautiful in Sufism is that desire to destruct oneself into a higher conception; it is kind of romantic - a desire found elsewhere only among lovers. That is probably why Sufi poets like quoting examples from romantic stories. Rumi also took example of Laila-Majnu in this volume.
Basically, Rumi argues, it is just stupid to stay limited to loving only a part of god's creation when you could love God himself:
"An ant hurries along a threshing floor
with its wheat grain,
moving between huge sacks of wheat,
not knowing the abundance all around.
It thinks its one grain is all there is to love."
A Sufi poet is a person on mission of this self-destruction (also a guide for others to do so) - the songs he sing are in love for God, something similar to a Nightingale singing in love for roses which, by the way, a very common image with Sufi poets.
This nightingale dips its tongue in Quranic water before he sings. All poetry is to explain Quranic verses. Apart from Quranic stories, Rumi also takes examples from Indian, Greek and other folk stories and mend them to deliver his message. Often he would pause within a story to tell another one or to interpret it for you - never for once breaking the verse.
As good as this translation is, I can't help feeling too much of meaning must have been lost to keep the rhyme. The musical effect definitely lost at times and that is most important thing. The only way to enjoy them is letting yourself be drawn into this music; the way some people let themselves when listening to music on headphones and start singing and dancing madly (even with people around.) To me Sufi poets must be like that - just look at book cover.
"In your light I learn to love
In your beauty, how to make poems'
you dance inside my chest
where no one sees you,
but sometimes I do,
and that sight becomes the art."
'Who is it?' he heard his beloved say.
He said, 'Its me.'She answered, 'Leave at once
There isn't room for such raw arrogance.'
Raw meat's cooked just by separation's flame-
What can cure hypocrisy's deep shame.
He wondered off in pain as his heart burnt,
In exile from the one he yearned,
Matured before then going back once more
And walking to and fro outside her door.
He tapped the door now suffering nerves inside,
Not to let slip a wrong word how he tried!
His sweetheart now responded by asking who
Was at the door -- 'None, love, but you'
'Now you are I, please enter in this place
Because for two in here there isn't space'
Also called 'Quran in Persian', Masnavi is one of best Sufi works. It goes into six volumes and is full of Sufi lessons. What I found so beautiful in Sufism is that desire to destruct oneself into a higher conception; it is kind of romantic - a desire found elsewhere only among lovers. That is probably why Sufi poets like quoting examples from romantic stories. Rumi also took example of Laila-Majnu in this volume.
Basically, Rumi argues, it is just stupid to stay limited to loving only a part of god's creation when you could love God himself:
"An ant hurries along a threshing floor
with its wheat grain,
moving between huge sacks of wheat,
not knowing the abundance all around.
It thinks its one grain is all there is to love."
A Sufi poet is a person on mission of this self-destruction (also a guide for others to do so) - the songs he sing are in love for God, something similar to a Nightingale singing in love for roses which, by the way, a very common image with Sufi poets.
This nightingale dips its tongue in Quranic water before he sings. All poetry is to explain Quranic verses. Apart from Quranic stories, Rumi also takes examples from Indian, Greek and other folk stories and mend them to deliver his message. Often he would pause within a story to tell another one or to interpret it for you - never for once breaking the verse.
As good as this translation is, I can't help feeling too much of meaning must have been lost to keep the rhyme. The musical effect definitely lost at times and that is most important thing. The only way to enjoy them is letting yourself be drawn into this music; the way some people let themselves when listening to music on headphones and start singing and dancing madly (even with people around.) To me Sufi poets must be like that - just look at book cover.
"In your light I learn to love
In your beauty, how to make poems'
you dance inside my chest
where no one sees you,
but sometimes I do,
and that sight becomes the art."
March 30, 2015
أن تقرأ من أجل الفهم والمتعة الروحية
مثنوى جلال الرومى مقسم إلى 6 أجزاء
أنقسم الكتاب الأول إلى قسمين الأول به ترجمة الجزء الأول والثانى به شرح لما ورد بالجزء الأول
والمثنوى هدفه الأساسى تعليمى بحت معتمدا على أسلوب شيق وذكر قصص جرت على لسان حيوانات أشبه ما يكون بكليلة ودمنة إلا أنه لا يعتمد على حكايات حيوانات بل يمتد لعبر الأولين وبعض مواقف للصحابة وما إلى ذلك
متعة العقل
مثنوى جلال الرومى مقسم إلى 6 أجزاء
أنقسم الكتاب الأول إلى قسمين الأول به ترجمة الجزء الأول والثانى به شرح لما ورد بالجزء الأول
والمثنوى هدفه الأساسى تعليمى بحت معتمدا على أسلوب شيق وذكر قصص جرت على لسان حيوانات أشبه ما يكون بكليلة ودمنة إلا أنه لا يعتمد على حكايات حيوانات بل يمتد لعبر الأولين وبعض مواقف للصحابة وما إلى ذلك
متعة العقل
September 27, 2023
ما أن تنتهي من الجزء الأول حتى تصارع الوقت لتبدأ الجزء الثاني ومثنوي جلال الدين الرومي صاحب الطريقة المولوية عبارة عن مجموعة من القصص كتبت بطريقة شعرية ورمزية حول علاقة الإنسان بالله تعالى في إطار من التصوف الجميل واعتبار أن الحياة كلها رحلة قصيرة ليس لها الغرض سوى الرجوع للحبيب الأول مرة أخرى ... إلى الجزء الثاني
February 15, 2020
Now listen to this reed-flute’s deep lament
About the heartache being apart has meant:
‘Since from the reed-bed they uprooted me
My song’s expressed each human’s agony,
A breast which separation’s split in two
Is what I seek, to share this pain with you:
When kept from their true origin, all yearn
For union on the day they can return.
Amongst the crowd, alone I mourn my fate,
With good and bad I’ve learnt to integrate,
That we were friends each one was satisfied
But none sought out my secrets from inside;
My deepest secret’s in this song I wail
But eyes and ears can’t penetrate the veil:
About the heartache being apart has meant:
‘Since from the reed-bed they uprooted me
My song’s expressed each human’s agony,
A breast which separation’s split in two
Is what I seek, to share this pain with you:
When kept from their true origin, all yearn
For union on the day they can return.
Amongst the crowd, alone I mourn my fate,
With good and bad I’ve learnt to integrate,
That we were friends each one was satisfied
But none sought out my secrets from inside;
My deepest secret’s in this song I wail
But eyes and ears can’t penetrate the veil:
May 14, 2008
Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi bin Muhammad bin Hasin al-Khattabi al-Bakri (1207-1273), seorang sufi yang diapresiasi setinggi langit oleh Iqbal sebagai "Raushan Damir" (orang berpenglihatan ruhani tajam yang mampu membaca rahasia dunia dan peristiwa kemanusiaan lainnya), saya akan kutipkan satu bait dari 34.662 buah syair mahsyurnya. Mukadimah Ghazal (sajak-sajak mistikal) yang bertutur tentang cinta :
dengar lagu seruling bambu
menyampaikan kisah pilu perpisahan : tuturnya,
"sejak aku berpisah dengan asal-usulku,
pokok bambu yang rimbun
ratapku membuat lelaki dan wanita mengaduh
kuingin sebuah dada yang koyak
sebab terpisah jauh dari orang yang dicintai
dengan demikian dapat kupaparkan kepiluan cinta
setiap orang yang hidup
jauh dari kampung halamannya
akan merindukan saat-saat
tatkala dia masih berkumpul sanak saudaranya
nada-nada senduku senantiasa kunyanyikan
dalam setiap pertemuan
aku duduk bersama mereka
yang riang dan sedih
rahasia laguku
tidak jauh dari asal-usul ratapku,
namun, apakah ada telinga yang sudi mendengar
dan mata yang tega melihat?
(Masnavi-ye Ma'navi)
===========================
Bagi Rumi kata-kata adalah api. Cahaya penerang keraguan dan penglihatan atas cinta Tuhan. Dalam Rumi, pesan cintanya universal. Bukti bahwa semua orang dapat hidup berdampingan secara damai. Bagi saya, Rumi adalah pujangga terbesar yang pernah ada, dari Timur sampai Barat.
dengar lagu seruling bambu
menyampaikan kisah pilu perpisahan : tuturnya,
"sejak aku berpisah dengan asal-usulku,
pokok bambu yang rimbun
ratapku membuat lelaki dan wanita mengaduh
kuingin sebuah dada yang koyak
sebab terpisah jauh dari orang yang dicintai
dengan demikian dapat kupaparkan kepiluan cinta
setiap orang yang hidup
jauh dari kampung halamannya
akan merindukan saat-saat
tatkala dia masih berkumpul sanak saudaranya
nada-nada senduku senantiasa kunyanyikan
dalam setiap pertemuan
aku duduk bersama mereka
yang riang dan sedih
rahasia laguku
tidak jauh dari asal-usul ratapku,
namun, apakah ada telinga yang sudi mendengar
dan mata yang tega melihat?
(Masnavi-ye Ma'navi)
===========================
Bagi Rumi kata-kata adalah api. Cahaya penerang keraguan dan penglihatan atas cinta Tuhan. Dalam Rumi, pesan cintanya universal. Bukti bahwa semua orang dapat hidup berdampingan secara damai. Bagi saya, Rumi adalah pujangga terbesar yang pernah ada, dari Timur sampai Barat.
May 19, 2013
The Greatest poem of any language, over 14,000 lines filled with the Sufi love of God, faith, beauty, teaching stories, and love and love and love. Called the Persian Koran, his only rivals for fame and complexity are Homer and Dante, with Shakespeare thrown in for the English language. I loved it, and have been re-reading it lately in this amazing new translation by the incomparable translator Jawid Mojaddedi, which follows much more closely the rhyming meter of the original. A major achievement :) Bravo!
July 10, 2022
ამბავი უნდა დავიწყო იმით, რომ თუ აღმოსავლური ლიტერატურის გაცნობა გინდა, გიორგი ლობჟანიძე უნდა აღმოაჩინო.
წლების წინ, ბიბლია რომ წავიკითხე და ეკლესიამ მითხრა, მხოლოდ მართლმადიდებლები შედიან სამოთხეში, სხვები უბრალოდ ცხოვრობენო, იმხანად ვიღაცამ მითხრა, ყურანი რამდენადმე ჰგავს ბიბლიასო, საერთო საწყისები აქვთო და მას შემდეგ მინდოდა ყურანის წაკითხვა, ყურანის და ძველი აღთქმის.
ზოგადად, ბოლო დროს აღმოსავლური ლიტერატურით რომ დავინტერესდი, სუფიები და დევრიშები რომ გავიცანი, რობაიებით რომ მოვიხიბლე, მაშინ აღმოვაჩინე რუმი, იქამდე ჯალალ ელ დინი დამპყრობელი მეგონა და უი ეტყობა ჭკვიანი კაციც იყო ის დამპყრობელი მეთქი ვფიქრობდი.
მერე აღმოვაჩინე, რომ რუმს არანაირი კავშირი ჰქონდა დამპყრობელთან, სამაგიეროდ გურჯი ხათუნის დიდი მეგობარი და დარდების გამზიარებელი ყოფილა.
ხოდა ამასობაში აღმოვაჩინე "არსთა მესნევი" და კითხვას შევუდექი.
რომ გადავშალე და პოემა დავინახე (სანამ გავიგებდი ბეითები რა იყო), მეთქი:
-ვეფხისტყაოსანსაც კი კარგად ვერ ვიაზრებ,
სპარსულ პოემას რა გამაგებინებს, თან რითმაც არ აქვს, კითხვის სიამოვნება რაღამ მომგვაროს?
ჰოდა აქ შემოდის გიორგი ლობჟანიძესეული სიტყვის თარგმნის ჯადოქრობა.
რანაირი დიდი ქართველები გვყავს,
რომლითაც უნდა ვიამაყოთ.
გიორგი გაცნობს არა მარტო რუმის ფილოსოფიას,
არამედ ყურანს (რომელიც ასევე მისი ნათარგმნია სხვათაშორის),
წიგნის თითო ფურცელი გაცნობს რუმს,
მის ფილოსოფიას, ყურანს და მთელ აღმოსავლურ ფილოსოფიას.
თითო ბეითი არის სიბრძნე,
სამაგიდო ლექსიკონად გადასაქცევი.
ფორუზანფარი არის სიბრძნის ახალი წყარო, რომელიც უნდა დალიო
და წაიკითხო ყველა განმარტება, იმიტომ, რომ განმარტებაა მთელი წიგნი და პირიქით.
არსთა მესნევი არაა მხოლიდ წიგნი, იგი მთელი აღმოსავლური ფილოსოფიაა ერთ მუჭად მოქცეული და არა მხოლოდ.
ასე დიდი ხანია წიგნით სიამოვნება არ მიმიღია,
თითო ფურცელს ვყლაპავდი და ვისრუტავდი.
ყოველდღიურობიდან დაღლილი რომ მიდიხარ სახლში,
სკამზე წამოსკუპდები,
ოთახი სავსეა ტელევიზორის ხმაურით,
შენ მუსიკას რთავ, ყურში ყურსასმენებს ისკუპებ და რუმის კითხვას იწყებ:
ამაზე დიდი ნეტარება არაფერია.
და რატომ მუსიკა?
უწუპუწუბის გამო კი არა,
კლასიკურ მუსიკას არ ვუსმენ,
საერთოდ მუსიკას არ ვუსმენ,
მაგრამ წიგნმა მოითხოვა და იმან,
რომ სახლის ხმაური რამემ უნდა გადაფაროს,
სხვანაირად რუმს სრულად ვერ იმეცნებ ♡
ამასობაში მოვინიშნე, რომ ყურანის ლობჟანიძისეული თარგმანი მაქვს წასაკითხი, წიგნი ქალილასა და დიმნასი კიდევ,
მოკლედ, სხვა სამყაროს ცოდნებში გამოგზაურებს ეს წიგნი და დიდი რეკომენდაცია ჩემგან მას.
და ბოლოს, რაც უფრო ახლოს იცნობ ყურანს, ხვდები, რომ ბიბლიასა და ყურანს ყველაზე ბევრი რამ აქვთ საერთო ამ ქვეყნად და საერთოდაც, მჯერა, რომ ყურანი და ბიბლია ერთი საერთო წიგნიდან ან წიგნისგარეშე ღმერთიდან მოდის და უბრალოდ სხვადასხვა კულტურის ხალხისთვის ნათარგმნი სიტყვების კრებულია ♡ უბრალოდ კაცობრიობას არ გვინდა გავიგოთ ის, რაც ყველაზე კარგად აია სოფიამ გაიგო და ორივე რელიგია გააერთიანა საკუთარ თავში ♡
წლების წინ, ბიბლია რომ წავიკითხე და ეკლესიამ მითხრა, მხოლოდ მართლმადიდებლები შედიან სამოთხეში, სხვები უბრალოდ ცხოვრობენო, იმხანად ვიღაცამ მითხრა, ყურანი რამდენადმე ჰგავს ბიბლიასო, საერთო საწყისები აქვთო და მას შემდეგ მინდოდა ყურანის წაკითხვა, ყურანის და ძველი აღთქმის.
ზოგადად, ბოლო დროს აღმოსავლური ლიტერატურით რომ დავინტერესდი, სუფიები და დევრიშები რომ გავიცანი, რობაიებით რომ მოვიხიბლე, მაშინ აღმოვაჩინე რუმი, იქამდე ჯალალ ელ დინი დამპყრობელი მეგონა და უი ეტყობა ჭკვიანი კაციც იყო ის დამპყრობელი მეთქი ვფიქრობდი.
მერე აღმოვაჩინე, რომ რუმს არანაირი კავშირი ჰქონდა დამპყრობელთან, სამაგიეროდ გურჯი ხათუნის დიდი მეგობარი და დარდების გამზიარებელი ყოფილა.
ხოდა ამასობაში აღმოვაჩინე "არსთა მესნევი" და კითხვას შევუდექი.
რომ გადავშალე და პოემა დავინახე (სანამ გავიგებდი ბეითები რა იყო), მეთქი:
-ვეფხისტყაოსანსაც კი კარგად ვერ ვიაზრებ,
სპარსულ პოემას რა გამაგებინებს, თან რითმაც არ აქვს, კითხვის სიამოვნება რაღამ მომგვაროს?
ჰოდა აქ შემოდის გიორგი ლობჟანიძესეული სიტყვის თარგმნის ჯადოქრობა.
რანაირი დიდი ქართველები გვყავს,
რომლითაც უნდა ვიამაყოთ.
გიორგი გაცნობს არა მარტო რუმის ფილოსოფიას,
არამედ ყურანს (რომელიც ასევე მისი ნათარგმნია სხვათაშორის),
წიგნის თითო ფურცელი გაცნობს რუმს,
მის ფილოსოფიას, ყურანს და მთელ აღმოსავლურ ფილოსოფიას.
თითო ბეითი არის სიბრძნე,
სამაგიდო ლექსიკონად გადასაქცევი.
ფორუზანფარი არის სიბრძნის ახალი წყარო, რომელიც უნდა დალიო
და წაიკითხო ყველა განმარტება, იმიტომ, რომ განმარტებაა მთელი წიგნი და პირიქით.
არსთა მესნევი არაა მხოლიდ წიგნი, იგი მთელი აღმოსავლური ფილოსოფიაა ერთ მუჭად მოქცეული და არა მხოლოდ.
ასე დიდი ხანია წიგნით სიამოვნება არ მიმიღია,
თითო ფურცელს ვყლაპავდი და ვისრუტავდი.
ყოველდღიურობიდან დაღლილი რომ მიდიხარ სახლში,
სკამზე წამოსკუპდები,
ოთახი სავსეა ტელევიზორის ხმაურით,
შენ მუსიკას რთავ, ყურში ყურსასმენებს ისკუპებ და რუმის კითხვას იწყებ:
ამაზე დიდი ნეტარება არაფერია.
და რატომ მუსიკა?
უწუპუწუბის გამო კი არა,
კლასიკურ მუსიკას არ ვუსმენ,
საერთოდ მუსიკას არ ვუსმენ,
მაგრამ წიგნმა მოითხოვა და იმან,
რომ სახლის ხმაური რამემ უნდა გადაფაროს,
სხვანაირად რუმს სრულად ვერ იმეცნებ ♡
ამასობაში მოვინიშნე, რომ ყურანის ლობჟანიძისეული თარგმანი მაქვს წასაკითხი, წიგნი ქალილასა და დიმნასი კიდევ,
მოკლედ, სხვა სამყაროს ცოდნებში გამოგზაურებს ეს წიგნი და დიდი რეკომენდაცია ჩემგან მას.
და ბოლოს, რაც უფრო ახლოს იცნობ ყურანს, ხვდები, რომ ბიბლიასა და ყურანს ყველაზე ბევრი რამ აქვთ საერთო ამ ქვეყნად და საერთოდაც, მჯერა, რომ ყურანი და ბიბლია ერთი საერთო წიგნიდან ან წიგნისგარეშე ღმერთიდან მოდის და უბრალოდ სხვადასხვა კულტურის ხალხისთვის ნათარგმნი სიტყვების კრებულია ♡ უბრალოდ კაცობრიობას არ გვინდა გავიგოთ ის, რაც ყველაზე კარგად აია სოფიამ გაიგო და ორივე რელიგია გააერთიანა საკუთარ თავში ♡
December 29, 2007
Jawid, a friend, up at Rutgers, has undertaken a major life project in turning these words into English poetry. I suggested he read Alexander Pope for couplets in English, but he always amazes me at his poetic dexterity in these volumes (now two of them from Oxford, and both necessary).
August 7, 2018
Finished: 07.08.2018
Genre: poetry
Rating: C
Conclusion:
Rūmī is the leading poet of Sufism (Islamic mysticism)
He composed the bulk of the much-loved Sufi lyrics in Persian.
The first one I read was beautiful.
It is a representation of the human condition in Middle Eastern literature:
"Listen to the reed, how it tells its tales;
Bemoaning its bitter exile, it wails:
Ever since I was torn from the reed beds,
My cries tear men’s and women’s hearts to shreds."
Many poems used animals (lion, hare, parrots) to make an analogy.
Clever...and I could follow them.
Unfortunately I only highlighted a few lines of this poetry.
It did not inspire me....or motivate to sit another
1-2 hours fishing the book.
The writing and message did not change.
I managed to read 60%.
Genre: poetry
Rating: C
Conclusion:
Rūmī is the leading poet of Sufism (Islamic mysticism)
He composed the bulk of the much-loved Sufi lyrics in Persian.
The first one I read was beautiful.
It is a representation of the human condition in Middle Eastern literature:
"Listen to the reed, how it tells its tales;
Bemoaning its bitter exile, it wails:
Ever since I was torn from the reed beds,
My cries tear men’s and women’s hearts to shreds."
Many poems used animals (lion, hare, parrots) to make an analogy.
Clever...and I could follow them.
Unfortunately I only highlighted a few lines of this poetry.
It did not inspire me....or motivate to sit another
1-2 hours fishing the book.
The writing and message did not change.
I managed to read 60%.
April 18, 2020
توی قرنطینه و سال جدید تصمیم گرفتیم با خواهرم هرشب ۲۰۰ ۳۰۰ بیت بخونیم.
شاید یکی از بهترین استفاده هام از قرنطینه بود.
فک کنم هیچ توصیف خاصی نمیتونم بکنم از کتاب:))
واقعا خوبه.با یه سری داستان های عجیب و داستان تو داستان و استفاده از هر کلامی به عنوان سرنخ و رفتن به یه ماجرای جدید و یه بیان جدید از همون ماجرا
البته واقعا اشعار عمیقی داره.فک کنم هزاربار هم ادم بخونه باز معانی جدیدی میتونه ازش پیدا کنه
واقعا خوب بود
شاید یکی از بهترین استفاده هام از قرنطینه بود.
فک کنم هیچ توصیف خاصی نمیتونم بکنم از کتاب:))
واقعا خوبه.با یه سری داستان های عجیب و داستان تو داستان و استفاده از هر کلامی به عنوان سرنخ و رفتن به یه ماجرای جدید و یه بیان جدید از همون ماجرا
البته واقعا اشعار عمیقی داره.فک کنم هزاربار هم ادم بخونه باز معانی جدیدی میتونه ازش پیدا کنه
واقعا خوب بود
June 30, 2020
সব মিলিয়ে ভালো লেগেছে। প্রচলিত 'সেকুলার' অনুবাদের চেয়ে এটা বেশি গ্রহণযোগ্য আমার কাছে। রুমির মুখে আমার কথা বসানোর চেয়ে রুমির সাথে দ্বিমত করাটা বেশি যুক্তিযুক্ত। তার সময়ের কথা চিন্তা করলে প্রোগ্রেসিভ বলা চলে তাকে। তবে প্রাচ্যের সকল শিক্ষকের ধমকানোর অভ্যাস রুমির ভেতরেও বিদ্যমান... হেহেহে...
March 2, 2025
Perhaps the first full book of poetry that I have read cover to cover in decades, this one was a battle for me to read, in three distinct parts:
First, inevitably, a lot of the beauty of the poetry is lost in translation. I do not speak Persian/ Farsi of course, and for all its good intentions, this translation into English (in iambic pentameter, no less) is hamstrung because you cannot translate some of the idiom or wordplay successfully. The emblematic example of this for me was in a poem about the Hare and the Lion. "Sell those dumb ears and buy some better ones/ for donkey's ears are just for simpletons". The hare is "khargush" in Farsi, while "khar" is donkey and "gush" by itself ear. What translation can hope to capture the wordplay?!
Second, so much of the poetry calls back to stories and characters from the Quran, that it revealed my woeful level of familiarity with that text and Islamic history/ mythos in general. This means I was constantly referencing the (helpful) glossary and googling names and places.
Third, and perhaps most importantly, the message of the text is completely lost on this atheist. This was also inevitable of course. The mysticism being expounded was landing with this rationalist like music on donkey's ears, to cheekily steal a phrase.
That being said, I have always been curious of mystical traditions and texts and ended up learning a lot about Sufism and Rumi, and Islam in this bargain, so this was a worthwhile read. I am not motivated however to continue through the remaining volumes. If anything, as we are starting out on the holy month of Ramzan, I am motivated to perhaps read some of the Quran itself. Let's see...
First, inevitably, a lot of the beauty of the poetry is lost in translation. I do not speak Persian/ Farsi of course, and for all its good intentions, this translation into English (in iambic pentameter, no less) is hamstrung because you cannot translate some of the idiom or wordplay successfully. The emblematic example of this for me was in a poem about the Hare and the Lion. "Sell those dumb ears and buy some better ones/ for donkey's ears are just for simpletons". The hare is "khargush" in Farsi, while "khar" is donkey and "gush" by itself ear. What translation can hope to capture the wordplay?!
Second, so much of the poetry calls back to stories and characters from the Quran, that it revealed my woeful level of familiarity with that text and Islamic history/ mythos in general. This means I was constantly referencing the (helpful) glossary and googling names and places.
Third, and perhaps most importantly, the message of the text is completely lost on this atheist. This was also inevitable of course. The mysticism being expounded was landing with this rationalist like music on donkey's ears, to cheekily steal a phrase.
That being said, I have always been curious of mystical traditions and texts and ended up learning a lot about Sufism and Rumi, and Islam in this bargain, so this was a worthwhile read. I am not motivated however to continue through the remaining volumes. If anything, as we are starting out on the holy month of Ramzan, I am motivated to perhaps read some of the Quran itself. Let's see...
April 13, 2012
The first Episode resonates with the love, mercy and wit that I have associated with Rumi since my first introduction to the great poet.
The second Episode, "The King and the Slave Girl" tells the story of, then justifies the murder of a goat herder on the basis of divine enlightenment being the motivation.
As much as I admire all the poetry of Rumi I have read before this story, this passage is hard to get past. Full disclosure, I also disregard most of Leviticus from the Old Testament. I strive to acknowledge the context in which ancient texts were written, but this one is still tricky.
I'm listening to this book on Podiobooks as a free podcast version of the whole book. The flute the musical accompaniment enhances the spoken poetry.
This is a direct quote from the website that I agree with based on the first two parts:
"Rumi's poetry is celebrated for its musicality. This translation, the Oxford World's Classics edition of which was awarded the 2004 Lois Roth Prize, follows the Persian original by using rhyming couplets. Toure Moumouni and Alain Kersanty perform Rumi's favourite musical instruments, the ney, the robab, the tar, and the daf, to give you a complete and authentic listening experience."
http://www.podiobooks.com/title/masna...
The second Episode, "The King and the Slave Girl" tells the story of, then justifies the murder of a goat herder on the basis of divine enlightenment being the motivation.
As much as I admire all the poetry of Rumi I have read before this story, this passage is hard to get past. Full disclosure, I also disregard most of Leviticus from the Old Testament. I strive to acknowledge the context in which ancient texts were written, but this one is still tricky.
I'm listening to this book on Podiobooks as a free podcast version of the whole book. The flute the musical accompaniment enhances the spoken poetry.
This is a direct quote from the website that I agree with based on the first two parts:
"Rumi's poetry is celebrated for its musicality. This translation, the Oxford World's Classics edition of which was awarded the 2004 Lois Roth Prize, follows the Persian original by using rhyming couplets. Toure Moumouni and Alain Kersanty perform Rumi's favourite musical instruments, the ney, the robab, the tar, and the daf, to give you a complete and authentic listening experience."
http://www.podiobooks.com/title/masna...
October 13, 2012
این کتاب بی شک یک معجزه مکتوب است و به قول دکتر شفیعی کدکنی، بزرگترین حماسه روحانی تاریخ بشریت است
مثنوی تنها دیوان شعر فارسی است که به ظاهر با نام خدا آغاز نمی شود، و به ظاهر نا تمام رها می شود. در واقع متفاوت ترین اثر منظوم در زبان فارسی است.
و حیرتمان وقتی افزون می شود که بدانیم تمام این اثر سترگ و تکرارنشدنی تاریخ بشر در یک فرآیند الهامی سروده شده است و معانی بلند موجود در آن مانند سیلابی بر روح و جان مولانا گذر کرده و بیان شده و شاگردان وی آن را کتابت کرده اند، و خود مولانا فقط 18 بیت اول مثنوی را نوشته است و باقی را در مجالس مثنوی خوانی، فی البداهه خوانده و دیگران نوشته اند.
در خصوص تصحیح دکتر سروش هم باید گفت که تسلط بی چون و چرای ایشان بر مثنوی و دیوان شمس و به طور کلی با روح کلام حضرت مولانا، باعث می شود این تصحیح که خود بر اساس معتبرترین نسخه یعنی نسخه قونیه انجام شده است، نزدیکترین نسخه مثنوی به کلام مولانا باشد
مثنوی تنها دیوان شعر فارسی است که به ظاهر با نام خدا آغاز نمی شود، و به ظاهر نا تمام رها می شود. در واقع متفاوت ترین اثر منظوم در زبان فارسی است.
و حیرتمان وقتی افزون می شود که بدانیم تمام این اثر سترگ و تکرارنشدنی تاریخ بشر در یک فرآیند الهامی سروده شده است و معانی بلند موجود در آن مانند سیلابی بر روح و جان مولانا گذر کرده و بیان شده و شاگردان وی آن را کتابت کرده اند، و خود مولانا فقط 18 بیت اول مثنوی را نوشته است و باقی را در مجالس مثنوی خوانی، فی البداهه خوانده و دیگران نوشته اند.
در خصوص تصحیح دکتر سروش هم باید گفت که تسلط بی چون و چرای ایشان بر مثنوی و دیوان شمس و به طور کلی با روح کلام حضرت مولانا، باعث می شود این تصحیح که خود بر اساس معتبرترین نسخه یعنی نسخه قونیه انجام شده است، نزدیکترین نسخه مثنوی به کلام مولانا باشد
April 12, 2016
الجزء الاول من الكتاب !
كتاب عميق وصعب جدا , طريقة ترجمة الكتاب واشعار الكتاب اعطت نسق مختلف للكتاب
مع كل قصه او موضوع او شعر
يوجد حكمة من جلال الدين الرومي
كل كلمة تخرج من جلال الها الف معنى
...
كتاب عميق وصعب جدا , طريقة ترجمة الكتاب واشعار الكتاب اعطت نسق مختلف للكتاب
مع كل قصه او موضوع او شعر
يوجد حكمة من جلال الدين الرومي
كل كلمة تخرج من جلال الها الف معنى
...
March 4, 2022
It was a spiritual feast ***
“His grace schools even things without a mind,
His wrath leaves educated scholars blind!
As God created hardship and distress
So through them you would learn of happiness:
All hidden things by opposites are known,
Since He has none, God’s hidden on His own.”
“His grace schools even things without a mind,
His wrath leaves educated scholars blind!
As God created hardship and distress
So through them you would learn of happiness:
All hidden things by opposites are known,
Since He has none, God’s hidden on His own.”
January 18, 2009
If you want to read Rumi in English, read Mojaddedi's translation.
July 27, 2010
کتابی که به قول بزرگی با 1بشنو شروع شده و با 1ببین تموم
Currently reading
June 26, 2019هر کسی کو باز ماند از اصل خویش
باز جوید روزگار وصل خویش
باز جوید روزگار وصل خویش
May 22, 2024
This became much more fun to read when I stopped looking for the hidden spiritual message and just read the words.
Interesting to compare popular translations of Rumi's poems which are very secular and romanticised, and this, which has a Qur'an reference every couple of lines.
Interesting to compare popular translations of Rumi's poems which are very secular and romanticised, and this, which has a Qur'an reference every couple of lines.
October 16, 2022
i realized i am not intellectual enough to read an entire book of ancient persian poetry all at once but i did try to!
February 16, 2021
პოეზიის არაპოეტური თარგმანი, როგორც წესი, რთულად იკითხება ხოლმე. არც ესაა გამონაკლისი შემთხვევა. მთარგმნელის ბრალი არაა, ასეთი ყოფილა მოთხოვნა - ზუსტი თარგმანი. ასეთ შემთხვევაში, გიწევს შეაფასო შინაარსი, საზრისი და ა.შ. ჰოდა, ეს უკანასკნელი ხშირად მეორდება. ჩემთვის დამღლელი აღმოჩნდა კითხვის პროცესი და კიდეც გაიწელა.
Read
January 11, 2008شعرهای مثنوی درس آشکار زندگی در تجربه است.متاسغانه شناخت از مولوی دربین جماعت دانشجو به مثابه نسل فردا چندان روشن نیست.مولوی باشعر و تمثیل روزگار جاوید را نفد کرده وهر تمثیل را به یک درس زندگی تبدیل کرده است شاید به جرئت بتوان مثنوی را درسنامه زندگی نامید.
Read
December 15, 2011From the Introduction: "More than two centuries before the time of the eminent Sufi theosopher Ebn Arabi (d. 1240), Sufis began to describe their experience of annihilation in God and the realization that only God exists."
February 2, 2016
منگر اندر نقش زشت وخوب خویش بنگر اندر عشق ودرمطلوب خویش
منگر انکه تو حقیری یا ضعیف بنگر اندر همت خود،ای شریف
مثنوی معنوی مولانا جلال الدین بلخی را قرآن فارسی بشمارند
منگر انکه تو حقیری یا ضعیف بنگر اندر همت خود،ای شریف
مثنوی معنوی مولانا جلال الدین بلخی را قرآن فارسی بشمارند
Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews