Rumi: Poet Of The Heart

Glorious mystic love and poetry

This DVD tells the story of Rumi's life and offers some of his poetry as read by some of the foremost Rumi translators of our time. It is a truly inspiring and beautiful video. July 24, 2007

Excellent, well-rounded and concise introduction to Rumi

This video was a feast for the eyes, ears, heart and soul. In less than an hour of time, it gave a nice introduction to Rumi, his significance and a poignant taste of his poetry. I found the poems that were accompanied by traditional instruments particularly good.

Also, there was some good scholarly commentary included on the CD. Huston Smith, Robert Bly and Deepak Chopra all shed light on the significance of the Sufi path and Rumi's place within this tradition.

There are also some good nature scenes that accompany some of the poetry and the overall impact is effective. If you are not familiar with the best selling poet in America (Rumi)... this is an excellent place to start.

In the video it is pointed out by various scholars that translating Rumi is exceedingly difficult. I believe Coleman Barks captures the essential spirit of the poems and he is one of the most popular translators of his work although he is sometimes criticized for various reasons. I believe this can be said of any translator. The only think that was a bit distracting is that Coleman Barks had a slight to moderate Southern accent, which I am not used to hearing and don't associate with this poetry. This is more about me and what I'm used to hearing than the DVD itself.

Overall, the DVD is so well done that it didn't take me long to get used to hearing Coleman Bark recite Rumi's poetry with great feeling in a context with traditional Middle Eastern instruments. This CD is a winner and a good value in my opinion.

Lastly, I studied Sufism at the graduate school level with a gentleman who was a Sufi for nearly 40 years and had a Ph.D. from Harvard in religious studies. While Coleman Barks may not be perfect, I didn't have any issues with his translations or the way Sufism was positioned within the video. June 7, 2007

Rumi

I found it boring and it wasn't a documentray, but people babbling. Deepak made some good valid points, but that was about Rumi. May 6, 2007

Inspiring and beautiful!

What a great DVD! For me, Rumi: Poet of the Heart is just as much about Coleman Barks as it is about Rumi. Mr. Barks has "the gift" of transcending language to speak directly to your heart, to your soul. I believe he was meant to bring the poetry of Rumi to the West. Deepak Chopra and others help to bring this DVD to life. Beautifully and professionally filmed & produced, I would highly recommend Rumi: Poet of the Heart to any lover of mystic poetry or fan or Rumi/Barks. April 11, 2007

If You're A Fan of Rumi...

... then this is a must see documentary on him, his life, his works, and scholars and laymen alike, to explain and explore one of the worlds most enduring poets. Indeed aptly named as the "poet of the heart", as he seems to speak from there, and to there. Brilliant and honest. November 10, 2006

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