Today Iran celebrates the master of Persian mystical poetry.

Today, September 30, Iran celebrates the National Day of Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi, known in the West simply as Rumi, one of the greatest mystical poets in human history. Nearly eight centuries after his death in Konya in 1273, his verses continue to illuminate the hearts of millions of people around the world, transcending geographical, cultural, and religious boundaries.

The Poet Who Transformed Pain into Ecstasy

Born in 1207 in Balkh, in present-day Afghanistan, Rumi was an Islamic theologian and jurist before embarking on the mystical path of Sufism. His life changed radically when he met Shams-e Tabrizi, the wandering dervish who became his spiritual mentor and source of inspiration. Their profound and captivating mystical friendship transformed Rumi from an academic scholar into a poet of divine love.

When Shams mysteriously disappeared, Rumi's grief transformed into an extraordinary creative explosion. Thus were born his immortal works, pervaded by that divine longing that Sufis call "ishq"—the love that burns and purifies, annihilating the ego to reveal the Absolute.

The Masnavi: The Ocean of Wisdom

Rumi's masterpiece, the Masnavi-ye Ma'navi (Spiritual Couplets) is a monumental work of approximately 25.000 verses. Through stories, parables, and mystical teachings, Rumi guides the reader on a journey toward self-knowledge and spiritual fulfillment. Each tale conceals multiple layers of meaning, from the most immediate moral to the most profound metaphysical truths.

Il Divan-e Shams-e Tabrizi, a collection of over 3.000 poems dedicated to his beloved master, is instead a torrent of mystical ecstasy in which Rumi sings of the exhilaration of union with the Divine. Here we find some of the most famous verses in world poetry: cosmic dances, spiritual flights, metaphors for the wine of love that inebriates the soul.

Rumi in Italian: An Accessible Treasure

Fortunately for Italian readers, several translations have been published in recent decades that allow us to get closer to Rumi's poetic universe:

The essential editions:

• “Mystical Poems” (Rizzoli, BUR) – One of the most accessible and widely distributed collections in Italy, featuring a selection of lyrics from the Divan that introduces the reader to Rumi's mystical love poetry. An ideal text for those new to the Persian poet.
• “The Religion of Love” (Mondadori) – A curated collection that presents the central themes of Rumi's spirituality through a selection of verses organized thematically.
• “Mathnawi” (Luni Editrice) – The Italian translation of the monumental Masnavi, a fundamental work for those who wish to immerse themselves in the depths of Rumi's Sufi thought.
• “Fihi ma fihi – In it what is in it” (Boringhieri) – A collection of speeches and conversations by Rumi, offering a different perspective on his teaching, more discursive and immediate.
• “The Tales of Masnavi” (Guanda) – Selects the most beautiful stories and parables from Masnavi, making them accessible even to those who don't want to tackle the entire work.

Many of these translations are edited by Italian scholars and orientalists who have attempted to convey not only the literal meaning, but also the musicality and evocative power of the Persian verses, a difficult task given the linguistic and symbolic richness of the original.

A Universal Message

What makes Rumi so relevant today is his ability to speak to the universal human being, beyond any religious label. His verses celebrate love as a cosmic force that unites all creation, calling for tolerance, for transcending the ego, for the joyful dance of existence.

“Out there, beyond the ideas of right and wrong, there is a field. I'll wait for you there.”, writes Rumi, indicating a meeting space that transcends human divisions.

His poetry reminds us that spiritual quest is not a matter of dogmatic rigor but of an open heart, of the ability to see the Divine in everything, of transforming everyday life into a sacred dance.

A Necessary Celebration

In an age marked by division and misunderstanding, celebrating Rumi means recognizing the power of poetry to build bridges between different cultures and civilizations. His legacy belongs to all humanity: from Iran to Turkey, from Afghanistan to the West, millions find consolation, inspiration, and guidance in his verses.

Iran's National Day dedicated to Rumi is not only a tribute to a great Persian poet, but a universal invitation to rediscover the spiritual dimension of existence that he sang with incomparable mastery. In a world that often forgets the interior dimension, Rumi reminds us that “You were born with wings, why do you prefer to crawl through life?”

Rumi (1207-1273)