Listen: Commentary on the Spiritual Couplets of Mevlana Rumi

Praise for Listen: Commentary on the Spiritual Couplets of Mevlana Rumi

“Holbrook’s highly readable translation of Rifai’s Listen! goes a long way toward showing how Rumi has been understood in his own cultural context down to modern times.”  —William C. Chittick, professor, Department of Asian and Asian American Studies, Stony Brook University

“For all of us Rumi lovers who have adored Rumi’s sublime poetry, here is the answer to our prayers: a rich, profound, and yet accessible commentary on Rumi’s masterpiece, the Masnavi. The lovely translation, by the superb scholar Victoria Holbrook, of Kenan Rifai, stands out as the definitive English language commentary on Rumi’s writings.”  —Dr. Omid Safi, professor of religious studies, University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill

“It is a blessing to have a companion like the respected Kenan Rifai when entering the paradise of the Masnavi. He offers us something rare in these times: a perspective that comes from great knowledge and a living tradition of gnosis.”  —Kabir Helminski, Sufi author, Mevlevi Shaikh

“What a gift! We are grateful to Victoria Holbrook for conveying into English Ken’an Rifai’s beautiful commentary on Rumi’s Masnavi. For the lovers of Mevlana Rumi this will be a great blessing, enlivening their researches and enlightening their hearts.”  —Camille Helminski, author, Women of Sufism