Listen to the reed how it tells a tale, complaining of separations–

Saying, “Ever since I was parted from the reed-bed, my lament has caused man and woman to moan.

I want a bosom torn by severance, that I may unfold the pain of love-desire. Everyone who is left far from his source wishes back the time when he was united with it.”

With these words, Mevlana Jalaladdin Rumi begins his famous collection of “Masnavi” – one of the most important, influential and widespread works of Sufi literature in the world. The masterpiece is interpreted as one of the world’s greatest poems, thanks to its depth of thought and inventiveness of images.

Why is it so important? Who is Rumi? What is the secret behind his great influence on Western culture, apart from other great influence on Western culture, apart from other great Sufis?

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Remembering Rumi: How he inspired the East and the West | Opinion (dailysabah.com)