The Illuminated Rumi

The ecstatic poetry of Jelaluddin Rumi is more popular today than ever and Coleman Barks, his preeminent translator, has expressed Rumi's message in the best-selling "The Essential Rumi" (75,000 copies sold), in frequent concert performances and on television, when Barks was profiled last year on a Bill Moyers PBS special. Barks now joins Michael Green, the critically-acclaimed author and illustrator of "Zen and the Art of the Macintosh" (200,000 copies sold) in a magical mystery tour interweaving Rumi's most stunning poems--including many new translations--with original visual interpretations in the illuminated tradition, as well as Bark's own commentary and musings on the poems and Rumi's current relevance.

Rumi's passionate, playful poems chronicle the journey through life, offering insights into the meaning of existence and the individual's search for enlightenment. To complement and enrich these evocative translations, Green has created artwork that combines typography, original art, copies of old masters, photographs and prints in visual masterpieces. A remarkable collaboration, "The Illuminated Rumi" is a wonderful guide to Rumi's teachings and a treasury of visual delights.