DIVAN-I KEBIR Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi English Translation Nevit Oguz Ergin 22 volumes 1995-2003

The first English translation of Rumi's entire Divan contained in 22 volumes. The Divan-i Kebir, or Divan-i Shams, is the anthology of Rumi's poems from the time he met Shams (1244) until the day he died (1277). He recited (he did not write) poems day and night, and four assigned people, called Katib-i esrar ("secret secretary"), followed and recorded him. These 44,000+ verses are the best and most beautiful explanations of the secret of life, love, humanity, God, and more. They also serve as historical sketches of 13th Century life in Konya, Anatolia.

Volumes 1, 2, & 9 are brand new inside but:
Volume 1 - like new condition, dents & light haze at the back cover, writings: dedication to previous owner at half-title page
Volume 2 - like new condition, top and tail corners dents at front cover, dents at the back cover
Volume 9 - very good condition, lightly worn cover edges and corners, rubbings at cover, color loose
Volumes 1 & 19 have a small light stains at fore edge
Volume 8b has small chip-off in the middle of top edge of front cover
Volumes 2-7b & 9 have "Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi" written at front cover and spine in different font than volumes 1, 8a , 8b, & 10-22
Dimensions of Volume 1 are 8 3/4 x 5 7/8 that is different from dimensions of the rest volumes that is about 8 1/2 x 5 1/2
Volume 9 has different paperback bound, the rest of volumes are leather like bound
Volumes 5, 6, & 7a are united under one cover in one book
Volume 7b is a separate book
Volume 8 is divided in two volumes 8a & 8b


Divan-i Kebir of Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi, English Translation
Nevit O. Ergin, Translator
Set of 22 Volumes

The first English translation of Rumi’s entire Divan-i Kebir contained in 22 volumes.
The Divan-i Kebir, or Divan-i Shams, is the anthology of Rumi’s poems from the time he met Shams of Tebriz until the day he died in 1273.  His poetry is recorded in 13th century Farsi, the language of the times in Anatolia (some Arabic, Turkish and Greek also appears).  Although Shams disappeared from Rumi’s life after only three years, the impact of this Saint and Master transformed Rumi’s life into one of self-annihilation, spiritual longing and ecstasy, all clearly reflected in his poetry.
Rumi did not write down his poetry. Rather, he spontaneously recited poems day and night, and assigned people, called katib-i esrar [secret secretary], followed and recorded what he said. These more than 44,000 verses provide beautiful explanations of the secrets of life, Love, humanity, God, and more. They serve as historical sketches of 13th Century life in Konya, Anatolia. And, they take the reader into the spiritual journey Rumi took 800 years ago toward the enlightenment of Love.

Product Details:
    Paperback: volumes have from about 180 to 420 pages; volume average is about 250 pages
    Publisher: Turkish Ministry of Culture & Echo Publications (Volumes 2-22, 1995-2003, First Printing), Turkish Ministry of Culture & Curreat (Volume 1, 1995, First Printing)
    Language: English
    ISBN-13 SET: 9751715059, each volume has also individual ISBN
    Product Dimensions: 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 x approximately 1 inch per book
    Shipping Weight: 20 lbs.

 Reviews:
“Nevit has spent almost fifty years translating Rumi’s entire Divan… a deeply surrendered heart, [he] has done a tremendous service.” – Coleman Barks, Author, April 2004
“…indispensable to those who love Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi… It is a monument to the inspiration of Shems-i Tabrizi…” – Dr. Yannis Toussulis, Professor of Consciousness Studies and Intercultural Psychology, April 2004
“…nothing short of a miracle. What you find is a depth, consistency, and integrity of spiritual vision that is unparalleled.” – Will Johnson, Author, April 2004

The Translator:
Nevit O. Ergin began his spiritual life in 1955, embarking on the same path as Rumi, the Path of Annihilation, also called the Path of Liberation. His first exposure to Rumi’s poetry was through the translations (from the Farsi to Turkish) of the Turkish scholar, Abdülbâki Gölpınarlı.  Although Turkish by birth, Ergin lived in the United States from his mid-twenties until his passing at the age of 87 in 2015.  His desire to read Rumi’s Divan-i Kebir in English finally led to his undertaking the task of completing the English translation himself. He began (working from Gölpınarlı’s Turkish translations) in 1990 and finished in 2003.
Ergin recognized the challenge of translating from Turkish into English a work that was originally recorded in ancient Farsi.  According to the Russian linguist Roman Jakobson, “…Poetry by definition is untranslatable. Only creative transposition is possible.1 This is very true for Rumi’s poems. For that reason, according to Ergin, “I have tried to be idiomatic and communicative, faithful to meaning rather than translating word-by-word. I humbly ask for tolerance and understanding from readers regarding this gigantic task.”
We in the West are blessed:  Because of the depth and vision of his spiritual life, Ergin’s translations capture the beauty and energy of Rumi’s verses in all their glory.