Setting a benchmark in Rumi Studies, this award-winning work examines the background, the legacy, and the continuing significance of this thirtheenth- century mystic, who is today's best-selling poet in the United States.

Drawing on a vast array of sources, from writings of the poet himself to the latest scholarly literature, this new anniversary edition of the award-winning work examines the background, the legacy, and the continuing significance of Jalal al-Din Rumi, today's bestselling poet in the United States. With new translations of over fifty of Rumi's poems and including never before seen prose, this landmark study celebrates the astounding appeal of Rumi, still as strong as ever, 800 years after his birth.

"This book is a major contribution to the study of the great Sufi poet, and it should be on the bookshelf of anyone drawn to Rumi."