The 13th century Sufi poet Rumi traveled in a landscape divided between the Persian and Byzantine empires, and his works express the passions, fables, and faith of both worlds. In this book, Rumi enthusiast Kamla Kapur reworks some of his writings into 30 tales of wit, wisdom, and faith. The basis for her stories is Reynold A. Nicholson’s translation of Rumi’s six-volume Mathnawi, an epic mystical poem of more than 25,000 verses. Kapur brings this dense, intimidating work into a far more readable form, putting her own spin on the stories yet remaining true to Rumi’s vision. In charming tales such as “The Witch of Kabul†and “Moses Learns a Lesson,†she brings Rumi’s verses to life as clever fables. Pilgrimage to Paradise gives readers one of Persia’s greatest literary treasures in an accessible form that enlightens as it entertains.
