This book is not a novel but a curated selection of poems from the vast body of work by the great 13th-century Persian poet and Sufi mystic, Maulana Jalal al-Din Rumi. Translated for an English-speaking audience, "The Festival of Spring" draws from his Díván, a collection of lyric poetry often characterized by its intense emotionality and themes of divine love, spiritual longing, and ecstatic union. The poems, or ghazals, within this volume are attributed to Rumi’s pen name, Jeláleddín. The central theme is the soul's journey towards God, often expressed through the metaphor of a lover's passionate yearning for the Beloved. The "Spring" of the title symbolizes spiritual rebirth, renewal, and the blossoming of the heart that occurs through divine remembrance and love. Rumi’s verses explore the annihilation of the ego, the pain of separation, and the joy of mystical experience, frequently using vivid imagery such as the reed flute's lament, the ocean, and the wine of divine knowledge. The translator presents these profound spiritual insights in a form accessible to Western readers, capturing the essence of Rumi’s wisdom that transcends specific religious dogma to speak of a universal human quest for meaning and connection with the infinite. This collection serves as a window into the heart of Sufism, offering readers poetry that is at once deeply philosophical and passionately emotional, celebrating the eternal springtime of the soul awakened by divine love.

Table of Contents:

• The Festival of Spring, from the Díván of Jeláleddín. Part 1

• The Festival of Spring, from the Díván of Jeláleddín. Part 2