Kabir: Ecstatic Poems

Originally published in 1976 and having sold more than 75,000 copies to date, Kabir is a classic. Now, we are proud to publish a revised, beautifully designed hardcover edition that includes 10 new translations.

A weaver by trade but a poet-singer by calling, Kabir lived in fifteenth-century India. His philosophy incorporated the beliefs and practices of both Muslims and Hindus. Not only did Kabir influence these religious traditions, he was one of the major inspirations behind Sikhism as well.

The power of Kabir's words come from his passion—and also from his humor. He is at once irreverent toward authority and amazed by divinity. He demands that readers live for themselves. In the tradition of ecstatic poetry, Kabir writes of bodily delights and of choices made by the heart, not the mind.

Columbia University professor of religion John Stratton Hawley's new introduction places Kabir's work firmly into modern times, explaining the value of Bly's work with these poems. As our contemporary world struggles with political turmoil caused by religious beliefs, the poems of Kabir seem as relevant today as when they were first written.

Robert Bly has earned many honors for his original poems, which include The Winged Energy of Delight, and for his translations of twenty-two poets, including Kabir. He is the author of the bestseller Iron John, and with Jane Hirshfield has published a new translation of Mirabai (Beacon / 6386-6 / $16.00).