The Soul of Rumi

Coleman Barks is a poet and translator. He is widely recognized for his versions of Rumi's poetry, including The Essential Rumi.

Jalāl ad-Dīn Muḥammad Balkhī was a 13th-century Persian poet, jurist, theologian, and Sufi mystic. Rūmī is a descriptive name meaning "the Roman" since he lived most of his life in an area called Rūm because it was once ruled by the Byzantine Empire. ([Source][1].) [1]:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rumi