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Coleman Barks is a renowned poet and the bestselling author of The Essential Rumi, Rumi: The Big Red Book, The Soul of Rumi, Rumi: The Book of Love, and The Drowned Book. He was prominently featured in both of Bill Moyers' PBS television series on poetry, The Language of Life and Fooling with Words. He taught English and poetry at the University of Georgia for thirty years, and he now focuses on writing, readings, and performances.

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The Lost Words of the Sufi Master and Father of Rumi

Bahauddin, Rumi's father, was not only a major force in the development of Islamic spirituality, but also a deeply influential force in his son's life. In this, the first ever substantial English version of a wonderful but virtually unknown book, Bahauddin proves to be a daring, spiritual genius. His voice comes through the delightful, passionate craft of Coleman Barks, who transforms the Persian translations of John Moyne into fresh spiritual literature.

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The Drowned Book

HarperSanFrancisco

BLUE ROBE 23

Show the true way. (Qur'an 1:6)²⁴

I have been given a taste for what is beautiful. Like milkrunning through my body, the gates open. I wear a blue robewoven of six directions with watercolor images flowing overthe cloth, a thousand kinds of flowers, yellow jasmine, wildiris. Orchard corridors, handsome faces on the street, I amcomposed of this beauty, the attar of pressed plants, rose oil,resinous balsam: live essence, I am the intelligent juice offlowers.

ONE OF THE WAYS GOD TASTES

In the middle of praying I was thinking about the nymphs ofparadise again, said to be half-camphor, half-saffron, withtheir hair of pure musk.

Then I remembered the old saying about such and suchwhose head is soaked in shame, with his foot bound tight intruthfulness.

Then I recalled the qualities of God: compassion, generosity,elegant intricacy, luminous wisdom, mercy, beauty. I becamegrateful that I know the taste of some of these qualities,according to my limited capacity, and even beyond it.

I see a long table spread with a tablecloth. On it are thepowers and qualities and creations, the seven stars from whichflow our pleasure here. Even in my unconsciousness, God entersmy desire and my soul with the taste of those qualities.

I feel myself becoming one of the ways God tastes.

Excerpted from The Drowned Bookby Coleman Barks Copyright © 2005 by Coleman Barks. Excerpted by permission.
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