The Problem
Rumi has become the best-selling poet in America. Yet the Rumi most readers encounter bears little resemblance to the 13th-century Sufi master of Konya. References to Islamic prayer, Quranic verses, the Prophet Muhammad, and centuries of Sufi tradition have been systematically stripped away, leaving a vaguely spiritual figure palatable to Western audiences.
What remains is not Rumi. It is a projection—a mirror reflecting back our own assumptions rather than the voice of a devoted Muslim mystic.
Our Approach
Drawing on the critical edition of Badi' al-Zaman Foruzanfar, this project aims to produce translations that are both faithful and beautiful—translations that do not ask readers to abandon their context to appreciate Rumi's, but invite them into it.
Preserve the Sacred
References to Hajj, Quranic allusions, hadith, and Islamic prayer remain intact. The sama' is not merely a dance; it is a Sufi practice of remembrance.
Honor the Ambiguity
The Beloved (ma'shuq) may be God, may be Shams-i Tabrizi, may be the soul itself. We do not collapse this deliberate multiplicity into a single reading.
Meaning Over Meter
Forced rhyme often distorts meaning. We prioritize fidelity, with annotations explaining wordplay, allusions, and nuance that cannot cross the linguistic divide.
Open to Correction
No translation is final. Persian speakers, Sufi practitioners, and scholars are invited to refine and improve every rendering.
O people who have gone on Hajj—where are you, where are you?
The Beloved is right here—come, come!
— Ghazal 2114
Explore the Translations
Read our current collection of translated ghazals with full scholarly annotations.
Methodology
This project uses a multi-agent LLM pipeline guided by careful prompt engineering to produce initial translations, which are then subject to human review and scholarly correction. Source texts are drawn from the Foruzanfar critical edition via Ganjoor.net.
- Source: Ganjoor.net (Foruzanfar critical edition)
- Translation: 4-pass LLM pipeline (analysis → translation → styling → QA)
- Review: Open for community correction
- Output: HTML, Markdown, JSON
Contribute
This is a community project. Persian speakers can review translations for accuracy. Scholars can add historical and theological context. Developers can improve the pipeline. Everyone can help restore Rumi to himself.