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A Commentary on Translators and
Versionists
If
Rumi’s words have captured your sense of wonder,
or stoked your curiosity about the mystical element that lies beneath
all truth, and you want to read more, you have a number of options
available. Many go to their local bookstore and pick up one
of the
popular books available by such authors as Coleman Barks,
Jonathan
Star, Andrew Harvey or Deepak Chopra. These fine
authors
depict
Rumi’s poetry in a rich, aromatic and powerful way, and leave
most readers with a sense that they have tapped into an understanding
of God that compliments spiritual and religious ideology. For
instance,
in the Holy Qur’an it is written,
Those who listen (in truth)
Be sure, will accept:
As to the dead, Allah will
Raise them up; then will they
Be returned unto Him. {Surah 6: Al An’am; 36}
And in
the Christian Bible Jesus (pbuh) is quoted as saying,
“Most assuredly I say unto
you,
unless
One is born again, he cannot see the
Kingdom of God” {John 3:3}
Rumi
also delves into this subject in his Divan-e Shams,
Ghazal 636, and we read from
a version of
this Ode by Coleman Barks:
Inside this new love, die.
Your way begins on the other side.
(“These Branching Moments”, Copper Beech Press,
1988)
If your
fascination with Rumi’s poetry drives you to
look beyond the local bookstore, and you search for more, you will find
a treasure trove of books by such widely read authors as Kabir
Helminski, Azita
Melita Kolin and James Cowan.
Among these three, by
far the most prolific is Kabir Helminski, and his versions of
Rumi’s poetry are well respected in literary circles, for he
often captures the heart and spirit of Rumi the Muslim.
Rumi’s work was originally written in Persian
(Farsi), and there are a handful of translators who have rendered his
poetry into English. Most authors who pen versions from Rumi
use the
translations of either A.J. Arberry
or R.A.
Nicholson, both of whom
have passed away. Recalling the above example, Arberry translates from
Ghazal 636:
Die now, die now, in this Love die;
When you have died in this Love, you will all receive new life.
(“Mystical Poems of Rumi I”, University of Chicago
Press, 1968)
Another
key translator of recent history was E.H.
Whinfield, and within the past few years, the world lost an
eloquent and influential translator in Annemarie
Schimmel.
Muriel
Maufroy and Simone Fattal
have translated Rumi’s poetry
from French translations into English, infusing passion into Divine
Love. Another outstanding translator
alive today is Nadir
Khalili
, who forges beautiful poetic translations, as does Zara
Houshmand, bringing Rumi's Rubaiyats to life with
rhyme.
William
Chittick is considered by some to be one of the most
authentic
translators of Rumi, while others regard the work of Ibrahim
Gamard
as
being the most accurate and thorough.
While many versions of
Rumi’s poetry
enjoy popularity due to being understood more easily by
secular
society, translators by and large attempt to preserve the deep Islamic
faith Rumi conveys in his writings, and try to render the deeper
mysteries as unvarnished as possible. Of course, the only way
to truly
understand a more complete picture of Jalal al-Din Rumi’s
poetry is to read it in the original Persian, as this reveals his true
genius and inspiration and shows the reader his ability to convey
multiple meanings in a single word or phrase, as well as illuminates
the incredible rhythm and rhyme inherent in his work.
Whatever depth you wish to plumb into Rumi’s
inspirational and life-changing poetry, you will no doubt find a source
by which to study this Sufi Saint’s message in a way that is
best understood by you.
Note to Translators/Versionists:
If your biography is featured here and you would like
to amend it, or
add published
books to the list, or if your work appears in Rumiverse but do not yet
have a bio linked
to this page, please send information to the Rumiverse manager
for inclusion. If you are a translator/versionist and wish to have your
work included
in Rumiverse, please submit your writings to our submissions
department.
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