Two questions from a beginner

[En Ja Su Ri]

Salam;

I am starting to read Mevlana's poetry. I have been able to buy online Ibrahim Gamard Effendi's translation of the Quatrains as well as Jeffrey R. Osborne's translation. I Osborne's a good rendition? 

A more ignorant question of me - among all of the poems by Mevlana, is there a list of those dedicated to Shams? Are those written in a particular meter?

Thank you so much for your help and allow me to excuse myself for my lack of information. 

[Ibrahim]

Salam,

Yes, Jeffrey Osborne's translations are good: accurate, without being too literal, and translated directly from Persian. I'm guessing that you bought one of Osborne's twenty paperback volumes.

The vast majority of Mevlana Rumi's poems (quatrains and ghazals/odes) are dedicated to Shams-e Tabrizi. Rumi composed over 3,000 ghazal poems, and in most of them, his final (and "signature" verse) includes the name of Shams (which means "sun") or Tabriz (the name of his city of origin). The custom in such poems is for the poet to mention or refer to his/her name in the final verse. However, Rumi did not conform to this custom and (selflessly) wrote the name of his beloved spiritual master instead. These "signature" verses occur in all of the twenty-three plus poetic meters.

Ibrahim

[En Ja Su Ri]

Dear Ibrahim Effendi;

Infinite thanks for your quick response. 

Yes, I have bought the first two volumes of Osborne's work, as well as yours. 

As I told you before, I am a beginner at attempting to read Mevlana's poems systematically. I have, nevertheless, been reading Arberry's translation of the Mathnawi and the FIhi ma Fihi for some 20 years. I am somehow familiar with the content and style , although my approach to Arberry's work was not academic. Now, I face the need to study a good translation of the poems - since I am working on a project that involves Mevlana's own poetic work. I decided to start with the Rubai. People I know who have studied Mevlana pointed at your translation - and to the Osborne translation. 

I have no knowledge whatsoever on Persian, but your comments on what you call fake Rumi poems made absolute sense to me - having a background in Medieval Philosophy, erasing Ilam from Mevlana's work would be like trying to de-christianize Augustine's "Confessions".

What are your thoughts on Lewis' "Rumi - Past and Present, East and West"?

Will it be alright if, from time to time, I ask you some more questions?

Fondly;

Enrique.