Two Book Recommendations: The Joyous Soul and Turkish Sufis
Ivan M. Granger January 25th, 2009
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Quarreling with God: Mystic Rebel Poems of the Dervishes of Turkey Translated by Jennifer Ferraro / Translated by Latif Bolat |
This is an excellent sampling of poetry of Turkish Sufis, most of whom haven’t been translated into English until now. You’ll find a few poems by well-known figures, like Yunus Emre, but many other stunning works by names you’re less likely to have heard of, such as Ummi Sinan, Kul Himmet, Seyh Ibrahim Efendi, and Niyazi Misri. Recommended.
They say the Sufi way
is to give one’s life away.
The Sufi way is to become a sultan
on the throne of the soul.
In the station of the Path,
it is to destroy appearances.
In the station of Reality,
it is to become a guest
in the innermost palace of the heart…
- from The Sufi Way, by Seyh Ibrahim Efendi
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The Soul is Here for its Own Joy: Sacred Poems from Many Cultures Edited by Robert Bly |
Another good, wide-ranging selection of sacred poetry gathered by Robert Bly. Continue Reading »