Coleman Barks
Encyclopedia
Coleman Barks is an American
poet
. Although he neither speaks nor reads Persian
, he is nonetheless renowned as an interpreter of Rumi and other mystic poets of Persia.
. He attended the University of North Carolina
and the University of California, Berkeley
. Barks taught literature at the University of Georgia
for three decades. He currently lives in Athens, Georgia
, where he interprets the writings of Rumi and composes poetry of his own.
Barks makes frequent international appearances and is well-known throughout the Middle East
. Barks' work has contributed to an extremely strong following of Rumi in the English-speaking world. Due to his work, the ideas of Sufism
have crossed many cultural boundaries over the past few decades. Coleman Barks received an honorary doctorate from Tehran University in 2006.
He has also read his original poetry
at the Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival
.
In March 2009 Barks was inducted to the Georgia Writers' Hall of Fame.
In early 2011, Barks suffered a stroke that has somewhat impaired his speech and has resulted in at least one cancelled appearance.
Barks does not speak Persian
, but bases his translations entirely on other English translations of Rumi. This includes translations by John Moyne. In addition, while the original Persian poetry of Rumi is heavily rhymed and metered, Barks has used primarily free verse. In some instances, he will also mix lines and metaphors from different poems into one 'translation'.
2. The Death of Saladin
3. The Indian Tree Bone Song
4. Sitting Together
5. The Source of Joy and Roses Underfoot
6. Amazed Mouth
7. The Music We Are
8. Green Meadows
9. Like Light Over The Plain
10. Some Kiss
11. The Road Home
12. A Cap
13. Walnuts
14. There You Are
15. On The Day I Die
16. School Mosque Minaret
17. Looking Into The Creek
18. This is Enough
19. Three Travellers
20. The Soul's Friend
21. Mounted Man
22. Shadow and Light Source Both
23. Now Lay Me Down
24. One Swaying Being
1. I Have Five Things to Say
2. Bowl
3. Buoyancy
4. Listening
5. I Met One Traveling
6. Soul, Heart, And Body One Morning
7. Most Alive Moment
8. Sufi Masters
9. Milk of Millennia
10. Wax
11. Wean Yourself
12. Quietness
13. This World Which Is Made of Our Love for Emptiness
14. God in the Stew
15. Locked out of Life
16. Tender Agony
17. No Room for Form
The only credential I have for working on Rumi's poetry is my meeting with [my Sufi teacher], Bawa Muhaiyaddeen
. That relationship is the only access I have to what is going on in Rumi's poetry.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
. Although he neither speaks nor reads Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
, he is nonetheless renowned as an interpreter of Rumi and other mystic poets of Persia.
Biographical notes
Barks is a native of Chattanooga, TennesseeChattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga is the fourth-largest city in the US state of Tennessee , with a population of 169,887. It is the seat of Hamilton County...
. He attended the University of North Carolina
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
and the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
. Barks taught literature at the University of Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
for three decades. He currently lives in Athens, Georgia
Athens, Georgia
Athens-Clarke County is a consolidated city–county in U.S. state of Georgia, in the northeastern part of the state, comprising the former City of Athens proper and Clarke County. The University of Georgia is located in this college town and is responsible for the initial growth of the city...
, where he interprets the writings of Rumi and composes poetry of his own.
Barks makes frequent international appearances and is well-known throughout the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
. Barks' work has contributed to an extremely strong following of Rumi in the English-speaking world. Due to his work, the ideas of Sufism
Sufism
Sufism or ' is defined by its adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam. A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a '...
have crossed many cultural boundaries over the past few decades. Coleman Barks received an honorary doctorate from Tehran University in 2006.
He has also read his original poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
at the Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival
Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival
The biennial Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival is the largest poetry event in North America.-Background:The four-day celebrations of poetry have been called “poetry heaven” by the 1995–1997 US Poet Laureate Robert Hass, “a new Woodstock” by the Christian Science Monitor, and “Wordstock” by The...
.
In March 2009 Barks was inducted to the Georgia Writers' Hall of Fame.
In early 2011, Barks suffered a stroke that has somewhat impaired his speech and has resulted in at least one cancelled appearance.
Rumi translations
Barks has published several volumes of Rumi's poetry since 1976, including The Hand of Poetry, Five Mystic Poets of Persia in 1993, The Essential Rumi in 1995 and The Book of Love in 2003.Barks does not speak Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
, but bases his translations entirely on other English translations of Rumi. This includes translations by John Moyne. In addition, while the original Persian poetry of Rumi is heavily rhymed and metered, Barks has used primarily free verse. In some instances, he will also mix lines and metaphors from different poems into one 'translation'.
Original poetry
Barks has published several volumes of his own poetry, including Gourd Seed, Tentmaking, and, in 2001, Granddaughter Poems, a collection of Coleman's poetry about his granddaughter, Briny Barks, with illustrations by Briny. Harper published his first book of poetry, The Juice, in 1972. "Quickly Aging Here" is another of his poetry books.Discography
1. What Was Told2. The Death of Saladin
3. The Indian Tree Bone Song
4. Sitting Together
5. The Source of Joy and Roses Underfoot
6. Amazed Mouth
7. The Music We Are
8. Green Meadows
9. Like Light Over The Plain
10. Some Kiss
11. The Road Home
12. A Cap
13. Walnuts
14. There You Are
15. On The Day I Die
16. School Mosque Minaret
17. Looking Into The Creek
18. This is Enough
19. Three Travellers
20. The Soul's Friend
21. Mounted Man
22. Shadow and Light Source Both
23. Now Lay Me Down
24. One Swaying Being
1. I Have Five Things to Say
2. Bowl
3. Buoyancy
4. Listening
5. I Met One Traveling
6. Soul, Heart, And Body One Morning
7. Most Alive Moment
8. Sufi Masters
9. Milk of Millennia
10. Wax
11. Wean Yourself
12. Quietness
13. This World Which Is Made of Our Love for Emptiness
14. God in the Stew
15. Locked out of Life
16. Tender Agony
17. No Room for Form
Quotes
Iran is my first home-land. (2006)The only credential I have for working on Rumi's poetry is my meeting with [my Sufi teacher], Bawa Muhaiyaddeen
Bawa Muhaiyaddeen
Muhammad Raheem Bawa Muhaiyaddeen was a saintly Tamil-speaking teacher and Sufi mystic from the island of Sri Lanka who first came to the United States on October 11, 1971 and established the Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Fellowship in Philadelphia...
. That relationship is the only access I have to what is going on in Rumi's poetry.
External links
- Official Web Site
- Interview with Coleman Barks for Guernica Magazine (guernicamag.com)
- Audio Interview on CBC radio with Coleman Barks and Andrew Harvey, by Mary Hynes of Tapestry (September 9, 2007; about 50 minutes)
- Four new translations of Rumi by Barks
- New Georgia Encyclopedia entry on Coleman Barks
- Audio Interview with Coleman Barks discussing the "Soul of Rumi" - includes transcript
- Bark's bio on The Zip Book
- German Magazine Interview