Rumi, Molana, Jalāl ad-Dīn Mohammad Balkhy (1207–1273), was born in or near the city of Balkh, in present-day Afghanistan. Widely considered the greatest poet of the Persian language, Rumi’s major works are the Masnavi, a six-volume collection of mystical teachings, and the Divan-e Shams-e Tabrizi, a collection of lyric poetry. He died and was buried in Konya, Turkey.
Haleh Liza Gafori is an American poet, translator, and musician of Persian descent. As a vocalist, she has performed as part of David Byrne’s One Note Series at Carnegie Hall and at Bonnaroo. The translator of Rumi’s Gold, she teaches workshops on Rumi’s poetry at universities and festivals across the country. She lives in Brooklyn, NY.
