Study of Rumi and Rumi-Researchers in English Speaking Countries
Subject Areas : Research in Iranian classical literatureAbstract :
The subject of this paper relates to comparative literature and the impact the literary figures, thinkers and illustrators have taken from Persian literary works; especially Rumi’s most significant and prominent works. The method of research in this essay is referential and inductive. We have made an attempt to become familiar with the great American and English men of letters; ones who have compiled important works through either translation or adaptation and made a serious effort to introduce the Persian literature, especially Rumi’s poetry in the English speaking countries. Since the eighteenth century, and following movements such as studying Iran, Islam, and the East, Persian literature was noticed and therefore some of the literary men, scientists, and illustrators begun translating and adapting the Persian literary works. It was in the same century that the study of Rumi’s works became significant. The English and American Transcendentalists both idealized the school of Transcendentalism through studying and having researches on Rumi’s works. It was about late nineteenth century, in 1870, that Mankar Daniel Canoy published The Sacred Anthology of Oriental Texts. Some of Rumi’s stories stated the ideals of social moral and behavioral issues. William R. Alger, one of Emerson’s friends, published The First American Anthology of Oriental Literature. Edward J. Brown translated the prose introduction of The First Volume of Massnavi into English. The climax of studies on Rumi’s works was done by Reynold Elaine Nicholson; who published eight books for the interpretation and paraphrase of Massnavi and actually devoted fifteen years of his life to this issue. Arthur J. Arbery is counted as one of the great thinkers in the field of Rumi studies. James J.Koan, an art teacher, rewrote fifty of the selected poems from Nicholson’s Poetry- taken from Shams Tabrizi’s Book of Poetry- in a modern poetic structure. And finally Andrew Harroy created some works as memorials of Rumi’s works.