Rise up nimbly and go on your strange journey to the ocean of meanings... In the mid-thirteenth century, in a dusty marketplace in Konya, Turkey, a city where Muslim, Christian, Hindu, and Buddhist travelers mingled, Jelaluddin Rumi, a popular philosopher and scholar, met Shams of Tabriz, a wandering dervish.nbsp;nbsp;Their meeting forever altered the course of Rumi's life and influenced the mystical evolution of the planet.nbsp;nbsp;The bond they formed was everlasting--a powerful transcendent friendship that would flow through Rumi as some of the world's best-loved ecstatic poetry. Rumi's passionate, playful poems find and celebrate sacred life in everyday existence.nbsp;nbsp;They speak across all traditions, to all peoples, and today his relevance and popularity continue to grow.nbsp;nbsp;In The Illuminated Rumi, Coleman Barks, widely regarded as the world's premier translator of Rumi's writings, presents some of his most brilliant work, including many new translations.nbsp;nbsp;To complement Rumi's universal vision, Michael Green has worked the ancient art of illumination into a new, visually stunning form that joins typography, original art, old masters, photographs, and prints with sacred images from around the world. The Illuminated Rumi is a truly groundbreaking collaboration that interweaves word and image: a magnificent meeting of ancient tradition and modern interpretation that uniquely captures the spiritual wealth of Rumi's teachings.nbsp;nbsp;Coleman Barks's wise and witty commentary, together with Michael Green's art, makes this a classic guide to the life of the soul for a whole new generation of seekers.