Translating Rumi

[Safa Kamdideh]

Dear Ibrahim,

Salam

I have been struggling with an issue - with a contradicting nature - that I believe you are one of the few people who can help. Ever since I found out about the horrible re-translations of Coleman Barks and how my cultural heritage and the divine doctrine of Sufism has been watered down and appropriated for profit, I have been trying to act as an advocate and inform everyone by giving my own translations and explaining how Barks' works are only a fraction of what Rumi's poems mean. I must say that your work on the same goal, has helped me a lot on this path and I am so very thankful for that.

On this path of reading and deciphering and researching and translating Rumi, I have reached a point where the more I read and the deeper I delve into his teachings, the more I feel it's an endless ocean that anyone can take a cupful as big as their capacity; as if there is no right or wrong in how much of Rumi one can understand. As if any level of knowledge of Rumi is simultaneously enough and not even touching the surface. This gives me a humble sense that leads to thoughts like "Why do you think you are justified to criticise Coleman Barks? What have you done with your knowledge of Rumi? Specially since there's doubt if it's right to call it "knowledge", for there is yet many many things for you to learn." and these kinds of thoughts lead me to another more troubling line of thinking:

Due to these re-translations of Coleman Barks, Rumi has become one of the most famous poets in the US. In a way, popularising Rumi (by watering it down to a new age philosophy) has lead to millions hearing at least some parts of his teachings; they've learned and somewhat practiced the Divine Love, the core of Rumi's teachings. This gets more troubling for me since I am an artist and I'm trying to translate Rumi poems to not only another language but other art forms like music, performance or film; in which total faithfulness to the original text is impossible. So, condemning what Coleman Barks has done with Rumi, has become a contradiction for me: I don't want to be unfaithful and dishonest like him, but I want to reach out and illuminate as many souls as he had done, yet it feels it can not be done without watering down and simplifying, which leads to unfaithfulness.

What do you think is the best attitude I could have with regard to this contradiction?

It was difficult for me to put these into words, I hope you realise I am writing them from a place of doubt and humbleness and seek guidance from you. If you disagree with any of my views please inform me of my ignorance.

Best,

Safa

[Ibrahim]

Dear Safa,

Salåm,

For many years, I held mostly negative views of Coleman Barks' interpretations. But in more recent years, I have also had the view that his books have succeeded in causing an impressive number of Westerners to have a very positive reaction to the name of "Rumi." Another result is that there has been a "trickle-down" effect by which Westerners have become familiar with some traditional terms and names in Islam and Sufism, as well as some metaphors in Persian culture. I now view Barks' orientation from more of a historical perspective: He has contributed to the development of Westernized Sufism by presenting Rumi as its non-Islamic "patron saint." The development of Westernized Sufism is similar to that of Westernized Yoga and Buddhist practices and beliefs during the past century. This is why Barks minimizes Islamic terms and references and changes Rumi's prayers into wisdom statements. I never cease to be amazed at how he begins with accurate scholarly translations--so he knows what Rumi is saying--and yet he wants Rumi to speak different ideas to Americans.

Barks was the disciple of a Sufi master from Sri Lanka who was first known as "Guru Bawa." Bawa presented himself for years as a universal mystic, who told stories from a variety of religions. Then toward the end of his life (in Philadelphia), he changed his name to Bawa Muhayuddin and turned his ashram into a mosque. Many of his followers converted to Islam; others, such as Barks did not, and presumably preferred the universal teachings of Bawa. Barks drove up regularly from Athens, Georgia (where he was Professor of English at the University of Georgia) to visit Bawa. And he related that Bawa encouraged him to work on the  poetry of Rumi.

My major criticism is that  he has forged his own poetic-spiritual ideas as those of Rumi's, with the result that many of his versions are "more Barks than Rumi." In this way, he adopted the conceit that only a mystic poet can understand the poetry of mystic poets--even without being able to read the language of such poets. Again, from the perspective of history, in 1915, the American poet, Ezra Pound began publishing his "translations" of the poetry of the Chinese poet, Li Po, although he did not know any Chinese, based on his interpretations of a scholarly translation from Chinese to English.

I am not a poet or an artist, so I cannot advise you regarding your work of rendering Rumi's teachings authentically via different mediums. Certainly, translation into another language can be more than literal. For example, the Persian proverb, "An arrow that has leaped from the bow does not circle back" [tīrī ke az kamān bīrūn jast dīgar bar na-mīgardad]--or, just as validly using a similar proverb in the rendered language: "A (hurtful) word that has left the mouth cannot be retrieved."

I would caution you to be careful with the word samā', which should not be translated as "dancing" or "whirling." The ancient Persian samā' did include dance-like movements [raqs], but it was not dancing; it could sometimes include whirling, but it was not exclusively whirling. Rather It involved ecstatic movements (such as hand-waving, foot stamping, shouting, prostrating, whirling, standing still, and so on) inspired by mystical music and mystical poetry. It was a group practice of the remembrance of God [zikr-Allāh] led by a Sufi sheikh.

Thank you for mentioning that my work has helped you. I'm  not sure if that means my translations of Rumi's ghazals on my website ( http://dar-al-masnavi.org/odes_trans.html ) or not. You have made similar translations with explanatory notes also. These translations of mine with explanatory notes have been on my website for many years, and yet they have received very little attention---even though explanatory notes about Rumi's ghazals are very rare in English (Arberry has included some). I sometimes wonder if readers of Rumi's poetry dislike making efforts to understand Rumi's teachings and prefer it in small, easily consumed doses.

Ibrahim

[Safa Kamdideh]

Dear Ibrahim,

Salam,

Thank you for your thorough response and the light you've shone on my doubts. Colonial and oriental approach of translators have pros and cons like any other thing, and I can imagine how difficult it must be for Western scholars - and audience - to understand the roots of a culture via language, when such understanding requires years of first-hand exposure to that culture. Maybe this is a reason for why explanatory notes about Rumi's ghazals are very rare in English; it's so much work for the translator, it might not even be accurate (due to cultural differences) and the readers will not understand the linguistic/aesthetic/sociopolitical/spiritual relations as well. My hope is, with the advancement of post-colonial academia, Eastern scholars will have more exposure and platform to discuss the true meanings of their cultural heritage and build on and polish the reputation of works such as Barks and Pound's.

I have read your translations and they have inspired me in creating my own versions. Thank you for your tips, like I said they are enlightening. I know my knowledge of the Sufi literature is still quite elementary and I have chosen a difficult path of trial and error for understanding them. For now, what I believe to be the best approach I can have, is to understand as much as I can from a poem and try to communicate all of it to my audience; this may result in my translations becoming "more Safa than Rumi", but I am constantly aware I might be wrong and ask as many scholars as I can to see if my understanding was correct or not. And you have been quite helpful on this journey.

I must again thank you for your gentle and comprehensive response.

Best,

Safa