The Masnavi, Book Two

The most influential Sufi poem ever written, the six books of the Masnavi are often called “the Qur’an in Persian.” Book Two is concerned with the challenges facing the seeker of Sufi enlightenment. In particular it focuses on the struggle against the self, and how to choose the right companions in order to progress along the mystical path. By interweaving amusing stories and profound homilies, Rumi instructs his readers in a style that still speaks directly to them. Here, Jawid Mojaddedi has translated the text into accessible rhyming couplets, as he did for Oxford’s award-winning edition of Book One. This edition–the first ever verse translation of Book Two, and the first translation of any kind for over eighty years–is the closest English speakers can come to understanding the true beauty of this classic work.