As Through a Veil: Mystical Poetry in Islam - Softcover

Schimmel, Annemarie

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1851682740 ISBN 13: 9781851682744

Publisher: Oneworld Publications, 2001

Synopsis

From the beautiful odes of Jalaluddin Rumi to the whimsy of nonsense verse, this is a detailed and readable introduction to the development of Islamic mystical poetry. Annemarie Schimmel has drawn exhaustively on an enormous range of sources both ancient and modern to create this thorough survey of a unique body of literature. Travelling from continent to continent across the centuries, this fascinating story of Islamic poetry encompasses a wide spectrum of traditions and cultures, from Arabic religious verse to the ecstasies of the Persian Sufis and the popular folk poetry of India and Pakistan. Showing how the varying strands of the tradition unite to form one single message of all-embracing love, Schimmel also covers such specific topics as: • the challenges of interpreting verse that is both sensual and sacred • sacrifice and spiritual love • the role of the feminine in folk poetry An accessible introduction for the general reader, this insightful account also contains detailed notes and a full bibliography for scholars and students, and will serve as an indispensable companion to some of the most exquisite literature ever penned.

About this title

About the Author

Annemarie Schimmel was Professor of Indo-Muslim studies at harvard University for twenty-five years.

Edition details

• Publisher: Oneworld Publications
• Publication date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1851682740
• ISBN 13: 9781851682744
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 376