Synopsis Episode 35: Interviewing Sufi Poets

We’ll read sample interviews with 15 Sufi poets 1050- 1650. Each “interview” includes a lyric, a focused verse “reply” by me, and a contextual “blogatelle.”

I Omar Khayyam (1048-1131) Love the things of this world: wine

Pages 41-43 wine

II Anvari (1126-1189) Satire and moral teaching

Pages 79-80 satiric-moral teaching

III Nizami (1141-1209) Master of the parable

Pages 100-103 Tale of Solomon and the Sower

IV Attar (1146-1221) Mystical allegory

Pages 113-117 Colloquies of the Birds: The Hoopoe

V Rumi (1207-1273) Quelling ego to reach God

Pages 147-151 Quelling the Ego

Pages 152-154 To reach God

VI Dervish Breviary (Rumi disciples) Loving a person parallels loving God

Pages 182-183 Two love laments

VII Saadi (1213-1291) Voice of love and loss

Pages 210-213 Love

Pages 221-223 Loss

VIII Ibn Yemin (1287-1367) Prudent (disillusioned) counsel

Pages 227-229 Three on Prudence

IX Hafiz (1315-1390) Wine and tavern romance

Pages 255-258 Love Song

X Kamal Khujandi (1320-1400) Shakespeare-like love poet

Pages 299-301 love song with Shakespeare parallel

XI Jami (1414-1492) Hafizian love poet

Pages 303-305 Hafizian love song

XII Hatifi (1454-1529) Poet-prophet

Pages 325-329 Summoned by God

XIII Hilali (1470-1529) Seeker of the eternal

Pages 382-384 Lament for what is gone

XIV Faizi (1547-1595) Platonist poet

Pages 413-414 From earth to heaven

XV Saib (1592-1676) Poet of the middle path

Pages 415-417 Middle path