The Life and Work of Jalal-Ud-Din Rumi
Publisher: The Other Press
Published: 2014
Place of publication: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Format: Paperback
Number of pages: 319
ISBN-13: 9789839541854
Description: Rumi is perhaps the only example in world literature of a devoted prose writer who suddenly burst forth into poetry during middle age to become a truly great mystical poet for all time. This book, a long-overdue reckoning of his life and work, begins with a description and examination of the living conditions in 13th-century Persia. Building on this context, the author proceeds to fully analyze the formative period of Rumi’s life leading up to 1261– when he began the monumental work of writing the Mathnawi. Toward the end of the book, the author investigates Rumi’s thought and includes translations of those portions of the Mathnawi that have been hitherto unavailable in English. Combining an unparalleled familiarity with the source material, a total and critical understanding of the subject, and a powerful and readable prose style, this is an extraordinary study of a truly remarkable poet and mystic.
Table of contents: title: Foreword; title: Preface; title: A portrait; title: 1 The age of Rumi; title: 2 The period of preparation; title: 3 The romance of revolution; title: 4 The miracle of the muse; title: 5 The message of the Mathnawi; title: 6 The poet as a thinker; title: Select bibliography; title: Index