Coleman Barks
American poet and translator best known for his interpretations of the thirteenth-century Persian mystic Rumi. A native of Tennessee and longtime professor at the University of Georgia, Barks does not read Persian — his "translations" are reinterpretations of earlier scholarly versions, rendered in the rhythms of contemporary American free verse. Through his books — The Essential Rumi, Rumi: The Big Red Book, The Soul of Rumi — Barks made Rumi the bestselling poet in America and introduced Sufi mystical poetry to millions of English readers.
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quotes in library
Quotes by Coleman Barks
69 quotes“You are searching the world for treasure, but the real treasure is yourself.”
treasureThe Essential Rumi (Barks)
“As you live deeper in the heart, the mirror gets clearer and cleaner.”
heartThe Soul of Rumi
“My friend, the sufi is the friend of the present moment. To say tomorrow is not our way.”
presentThe Essential Rumi (Barks)
“This silence, this moment, every moment, if it's genuinely inside you, brings what you need.”
silenceThe Soul of Rumi
“Don't let your throat tighten with fear. Take sips of breath all day and night.”
breathThe Soul of Rumi
“There's a strange frenzy in my head, of birds flying. Each particle circulating on its own.”
ecstasyThe Essential Rumi (Barks)
“Always check your inner state with the lord of your heart.”
heartThe Essential Rumi (Barks)
“In every breath, sound is the body of the soul.”
soundThe Soul of Rumi
“Be quiet, and let the One who creates the words speak.”
silenceThe Essential Rumi (Barks)
“You think because you understand 'one', you understand 'two', because one and one make two. But you must also understand 'and'.”
connectionThe Essential Rumi (Barks)
“In every breath, you are a fresh shoot of the great Tree.”
renewalThe Soul of Rumi
“It is your road and yours alone. Others may walk it with you, but no one can walk it for you.”
pathThe Essential Rumi (Barks)
“Your hand opens and closes, opens and closes. If it were always a fist or always stretched open, you would be paralysed.”
balanceThe Essential Rumi (Barks)
“Whatever sorrow shakes from your heart, far better things will take their place.”
sorrowThe Soul of Rumi
“When you eventually see through the veils of how things really are, you will keep saying again and again: 'This is certainly not like we thought it was!'”
seeingThe Essential Rumi (Barks)
“My place is the placeless, a trace of the traceless.”
placelessnessThe Essential Rumi (Barks)
“Inside love is space, the heart's interior.”
loveThe Soul of Rumi
“Tear off the mask. Your face is glorious.”
authenticityThe Essential Rumi (Barks)
“Let silence be the art you practice.”
silenceRumi: Bridge to the Soul
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