Persian Poetry in English
@PersianPoetics
Followers
90,499
Following
2
Media
1,040
Statuses
2,059
Explore trending content on Musk Viewer
Mother's Day
• 1186259 Tweets
Mauro
• 128325 Tweets
Racing
• 61392 Tweets
Emmanuel
• 54518 Tweets
Natalie
• 50511 Tweets
Denver
• 29424 Tweets
雨の月曜日
• 28375 Tweets
#DebateChilango
• 26567 Tweets
Minnesota
• 23620 Tweets
Bruins
• 21356 Tweets
Jamal Murray
• 21240 Tweets
Timberwolves
• 19112 Tweets
Fabra
• 18682 Tweets
Bennett
• 18220 Tweets
Panthers
• 17902 Tweets
BIRTH Campaign
• 16338 Tweets
Towns
• 15740 Tweets
Medina
• 15713 Tweets
Clara Brugada
• 15557 Tweets
Cristal
• 14805 Tweets
Geraldine
• 13159 Tweets
Gobert
• 12287 Tweets
Cruz Azul
• 12275 Tweets
Payet
• 11857 Tweets
Pumas
• 11727 Tweets
Pinned Tweet
Thread: The Orientalizing of Moulana Rumi
Many of you may be familiar with the 'Rumi quotes' that circulate the internet. What if I told you the vast majority of them are fake and they are part of a project to secularize Rumi? This isn't a whatsapp conspiracy.
717
19K
43K
In Persian 'I miss you' is 'delam barāyat tang shodeh' which means 'your absence constricts my heart.'
122
4K
22K
In Persian 'I miss you' is 'delam barāyat tang shodeh' which means 'your absence constricts my heart.'
112
3K
22K
In Persian, ‘companion’ is ‘ham-dam’ همدم meaning ‘one you breathe with.’
107
2K
17K
‘I miss you’ in Persian is ‘dilam barāyat tang shuda’ meaning, ‘your absence constricts my heart.’
60
3K
16K
Persians call their lover ‘nafasam’ or ‘my breath.’
83
1K
10K
In Persian, 'companion' is 'ham-dam' meaning 'one you breathe with.'
70
2K
10K
In Persian, 'companion' is 'ham-dam' meaning 'one you breathe with.'
57
1K
8K
Compare my mostly literal translation with Coleman's 'translation.' My heart aches for those who only know Moulana Rumi via this orientalist garbage masquerading as a translation.
72
3K
8K
In Persian, 'Wish you were here' is 'jāy-e shomā khālīst' which means 'your place is empty.'
44
1K
8K
‘Wish you were here’ in Persian is ‘jāy-e shumā khālīst’ meaning ‘your place is empty.’
69
1K
8K
Meet Coleman Barks, the man responsible for nearly every 'Rumi quote' you've seen. Coleman hasn't studied Islam, Sufism, or Persian in academia or traditional settings, he doesn't even know Persian! But that didn't stop him from writing over a dozen translation books!
34
1K
5K
Take this second poem. All of the Islam is removed to the point where the poem is almost meaningless. 'Home' (dargah) in Persian is unnecessarily translated as 'caravan'. This divergence from the original exposes the orientalist mindset of these 'translators.'
35
1K
5K
But let's go back to the quote I mentioned earlier. I've found the original Persian text (that Coleman can't even read) and translated it into English. Notice anything?
24
772
4K
To help us de-construct orientalist narratives and accurately translate Persian poetry, please support us at and find us on insta
20
778
4K
In Persian, the difference between 'mercy' and 'difficulty' is a single dot: 'rahmat' (رحمت) versus 'zahmat' (زحمت).
If you're feeling pain, remember that relief isn't far away.
25
877
4K
In English we suddenly 'fall in love,' but in Persian love comes in stages: First the 'havā' (infatuation) of youth, then the 'dūstī' (affectionate love) of a couple, followed by the 'eshq' (passionate love) of newlyweds, and finally the 'mohabat,' (caring love) of an old couple.
22
663
4K
Persians call their lover ‘nafasam’ or ‘my breath.’
41
416
3K
“I see a type of ‘spiritual colonialism’ at work here: bypassing, erasing, and occupying a spiritual landscape that has been lived...by Muslims from Bosnia and Istanbul to Konya and Iran to Central and South Asia.” a gem from an actual real Rumi scholar,
@ostadjaan
15
627
3K
In English, we unexpectedly 'fall' in love, but in Persian, love has stages:
First the 'havā' (infatuation) of youth,
then the 'dūstī' (affectionate love) of a couple,
followed by 'eshq' (passionate love) of newlyweds,
and finally the 'mohabbat,' (caring love) of an old couple.
20
633
3K
Ivanka Trump, the daughter of the most Islamophobic president in US history, tweeted it out after her dad failed to make peace in Afghanistan. If Rumi were alive today, her dad wouldn't even allow him in the country. The irony.
20
358
3K
‘Spouse’ in Persian is ‘ham-sar’ meaning ‘equals in authority, rank’ from the words ‘same’ and ‘head.’
12
455
3K
10
531
3K
Persian speakers call someone very special 'nūr-e chashm' meaning 'light of my eyes.'
38
486
3K
‘Poem’ in Persian is ‘she‘r,’ شعر from an Arabic root that means ‘to feel,’ and ‘to be conscious.’
17
467
3K
In Persian, 'the feeling is mutual' is 'del beh del rāh dārad' literally meaning: 'hearts have a path to one another.'
18
617
3K
A Persian word for 'beautiful' or 'enchanting' is 'del-āvīz' which means 'heart-hanger' or 'something the heart hangs onto.'
16
500
3K
"Separation from you
is worse than death
for me."
-Rumi
13
392
3K
Persian love has stages:
—Hawā: Infatuation.
Hawā also means air. Love is in the air.
—Shawq: Yearning desire.
—ʿAlāqa: Interest, the start of love.
—Dostī, Yārī, Ulfat: Friendly love.
—Maḥabbat, Mihr: Caring love.
—ʿIshq: Burning love.
—Junūn, Dewānagī: Madness.
30
446
3K
In a country where poetry books struggle to sell even a few thousand copies, Barks has sold over five hundred thousand, literally making millions from Moulana Rumi's writings.
9
313
2K
‘Seersucker’ comes from Persian ‘shīr o shikar’ (milk and sugar).
The name alludes to the smooth (milk) and rough (sugar) texture of the fabric.
17
361
2K
Where is this quote from? It's from 'The Essential Rumi' probably the best selling poetry book in America, written by Coleman Barks who has made his career peddling Rumi 'translations.'
18
309
2K
Persians call Rumi's Masnavi, "The Qu'ran in Persian." It's a storybook that embodies the spirit of the Qu'ran in simple, rhyming Persian for the non-Arabic speaking masses. One cannot understand the Masnavi w/o the Qu'ran, but alas “The Koran is hard to read.” remarks Barks.
8
359
2K
English ‘paradise’ comes from the Persian ‘pardīs’ meaning ‘walled garden.’
The Shāzda garden of Mahān, Iran looks like paradise compared to the surrounding desert.
10
380
2K
'Wish you were here' in Persian is 'jāy-e shomā khālīst' which means 'your place is empty.'
12
479
2K
Happy
#Nowruz
!
Did you know that March 20th marks the start of Spring and a new year for millions around the world?
Click to see how this ancient Iranic celebration is observed ⬇️
22
581
2K
In Persian empathy is 'ham-dardī' meaning 'feeling the same pain' and sympathy is 'ham-delī' meaning 'having the same heart.'
19
472
2K
In Persian, there are two words for the heart: 'qalb' قلب for the organ, and 'del' دل for your emotions.
17
357
2K
You circle the Kaʿba
a thousand times,
but God won’t accept it
if you hurt
a heart.
—Rumi, translated by
@sharghzadeh
7
460
2K
'I miss you' in Persian is 'delam barāyat tang shodeh' which means 'my heart is constricted for you.'
21
387
2K
Remember when I said he has no formal qualification? Scratch that, he was actually given an honorary doctorate by the University of Tehran (Iran's premier university) for all of his... scholarship... right. With friends like this, who needs enemies!
6
205
2K
Persian speakers call someone intimate their 'ham-del' همدل which means 'same-heart.'
20
298
2K
After three decades of 'translating' Moulana Rumi, Barks managed to establish himself as a scholar. Here he is giving a Ted talk about his 'translations.'
10
203
2K
Take this quote, commonly attributed to Moulana Rumi:
21
263
2K
A Persian speaker may call their partner 'nafasam' meaning 'my breath.'
17
252
2K
Instead of 'you're welcome' Persian speakers say, 'khāhesh mīkonam' which means, 'I beg [you not to thank me].'
20
283
2K
'Wish you were here' in Persian is 'jāy-e shomā khālīst' which means 'your place is empty.'
12
414
2K
In Persian, ‘companion’ is ‘ham-dam’ همدم meaning ‘one you breathe with.’
20
235
2K
A Persian word for 'beloved' is 'del-bar' meaning 'heart-taker.'
25
271
2K
"There is no illness like the illness of the heart."
-Mawlana Rumi, spotted in the Tehran metro.
9
299
2K
Persian is a gender-neutral language.
In place of he or she, there is a neutral “ū” (او).
Persians say “humankind” (bashariyat, بشریت) not “mankind.”
When speaking of men and women, Persian speakers mention women first. (1/4)
17
329
2K
Persian speakers call someone very special 'nūr-e chashm' which means 'light of my eyes.'
34
286
2K
In Persian, 'sacrifice' is 'qorban' قربان from 'qorb' قرب meaning 'closeness,' as sacrifice brings one closer to God.
18
259
2K
Persian speakers call someone beautiful a 'māh-rokh' or a 'moon-face.'
24
236
1K
“I looked and there is no
soulmate down here,
from now I look for
my friend in the sky.”
-Mawlana Rumi
4
239
1K
The words 'dīvāneh' دیوانه and 'majnūn' مجنون both mean 'crazy' but they also mean 'in love.'
15
246
1K
Don’t brag,
about all you know—
be silent,
learn silence.
—Rumi
6
241
1K
In English, we say we’re ‘broke,’ as if something is fundamentally wrong with us.
Persians say: ‘My wings are tied’ (bāl o param basta ast).
There is nothing wrong with a poor person, they are only restricted by their circumstances.
10
306
1K
🧵 Tomorrow night is ‘Shab-e Yaldā,’ the longest and darkest night of the year!
Iranic peoples spend the night in celebration - but why is the winter solstice important to them? (1/8)
11
353
1K
'Baghdad' is from the Persian 'Bagh' (God) and 'dād' (given) meaning, 'God-given.'
28
161
1K
Brad Pitt even got it tattooed, right by his pit:
12
129
1K
Persian speakers tell someone dear ‘qorbānat beravam’ قربانت بروم which means ‘I hope to die for you.’
25
211
1K
“Set fire
to everything
except love.”
—Rumi
16
233
1K
🧵 Nowruz Mubarak! Did you know that today marks the start of Spring and a new year for millions of people across dozens of countries? Read more to see how this ancient Iranic celebration is observed across the world ⬇️
18
324
1K
‘Wish you were here’ in Persian is ‘jāt khālīst’ or ‘your place is empty.’
Tag someone whose place is empty :)
16
193
1K
@mariamamini
@samira_says
He's not any country's Rumi, he's just Rumi. He was a 13th century mystic - modern nationalism is meaningless to his poetry.
8
53
1K
In Persian poetry, the heart has its own intellect: 'hūsh-e del' هوش دل that is often impaired by love.
6
184
1K
'Spouse' in Persian is 'ham-sar' meaning 'equals in authority, rank' from the words 'same' and 'head.'
17
209
1K
When Persian speakers finish eating they tell the cook, ‘dastat dard nakonad’ (May your hand not hurt [from cooking]) and the cook replies, ‘nūsh-e jānat’ (May [the food] nourish your soul).
14
222
1K
Happy
#Nowruz
!
Did you know that March 20th marks the start of Spring and a new year for millions around the world?
Click to see how this ancient Iranic celebration is observed ⬇️
15
325
1K
“If the sun knew
the least of my longings,
it would forget about rising.”
—Rumi
2
213
1K
“A single word
can destroy a world.”
—Rumi
12
177
1K
‘Khorāsān’ خراسان comes from ‘khwar’ خور (sun) and ‘āsān’ آسان (rising) meaning ‘Where the sun rises.’
16
160
1K
English speakers unexpectedly 'fall' in love, but Persian describes love in stages:
First the 'havā' (infatuation) of youth, then the 'dūstī' (affectionate love) of a couple, the 'eshq' (passionate love) of newlyweds, and finally the 'mohabbat,' (caring love) of an old couple.
9
249
1K
"You are what you seek."
-Rumi, Spotted in the Tehran Bazar
8
128
1K
“Wherever you place
your feet
I secretly go there
and set my eyes
on your footsteps.”
—Rumi
3
171
1K
“My heart
is like a bird
circling
in the air.”
—Rumi
6
136
1K
“I shut my lips
and spoke to you
a hundred times
silently”
-Rumi
5
185
1K
‘Wish you were here’ in Persian is ‘jāyat khālīst’ or ‘Your place is empty.’
10
179
1K
Thread: Rumi Vodka, an offensive commercialization:
36
293
999
The verb 'To love' in Persian (dust dāshtan) literally means 'To have as a friend,' showing how intimate friendship is for Persianate peoples.
7
190
995
The Persian word for 'intimate' or 'companion' is 'ham-dam' meaning 'one you share a breath with' or 'one you breathe with.'
18
176
976
If you encounter a Rumi quote in a book, be sure to check the source.
18
256
953
If someone is very dear, a Persian speaker calls them 'tāj-e saram' meaning 'crown on my head.'
11
147
939
When Persian speakers like something very much, they call it 'del-neshīn' which literally means it 'dwells in the heart.'
14
150
955
Rumi, Hafez, and other Persian poets often called the sky 'the azure-colored dome' (gunbad-i mīnā).
8
118
950
"The beauty of a man is in concealing."
- Rumi
3
93
938
In Persian poetry, the ruins of kingdoms are symbolism for the fleeting nature of life.
4
117
922
Thread: Tonight is the longest and darkest night of the year. Iranic peoples and neighboring groups call it 'Shab-e Yaldā' and spend the night in celebration, but why is the winter solstice important to them? (1/7)
13
290
912
The name 'Husayn' حسین was coined by the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ for his grandson, it means 'little beauty.'
3
158
882