These selections from Rumi's Mathnawi - a classic of Sufi spiritual literature - express the -lion's roar- of courage, discipline, clarity, and integrity. The lion represents the fierce intensity that recognizes no authority except the highest truth. At the same time, Rumi's lion is full of heart and devotion. Through these poems the reader will explore the qualities that are vital to the spiritual aspirant who seeks to overcome the imprisonment of ego.

This Rumi collection features selections from one of the world's great spiritual masterpieces, the Mathnawi. The Mathnawi consists of six volumes of poetry in rhyme-over fifty-one thousand verses-inspired by folklore, the Qur'an, stories of saints and teachers, and sayings of Muhammed. Rendered by Rumi's premier English translators, these excerpts from the Mathnawi are presented in American free-verse style.