Gold

Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi (1207-1273) was a thirteenth-century Sufi mystic born in the Balkh, in present-day Afghanistan. Considered the greatest poet of the Persian language, he also occasionally wrote in Turkish, Greek, and Arabic. His major works include the Masnavi, a six-volume collection of mystical teachings written in rhyming couplets, and the Diwan-e Shams-e Tabrizi, a collection of lyric poetry dedicated to his spiritual mentor.

Haleh Liza Gafori is a poet, translator, vocalist, and educator. She received her BS from Stanford University and her MFA in Poetry from the City College of New York. Her poetry has been published by Columbia University Press, Rattapallax Press, Beyond Borders, and Howl. She recently collaborated as translator and composer for the multi-media piece Ask Hafez, supported by the Queens Arts Council. In addition to the poems of Rumi and Hafez, Haleh has also translated the work of contemporary Iranian poets including Salahi, Kadkani, and Sepehri and edited the New Persian Poetry section for Rattapallax Press which featured work by contemporary poets of the Iranian diaspora. She has led workshops on Rumi’s poetry and mystical themes at various universities and festivals across the country, and has facilitated singing and chanting circles that make use of Rumi’s work. She has also released music as Haale and as The Mast. She lives in Brooklyn.