Mathnawi Commentary Volume I

This is a commentary on the first three books of the Mathnawí of Jalaluddin Rumi. The Mathnawí is a series of six books narrated by Rumi and transcribed by his friend and student Husamuddin in the latter part of the 13th Century. It has been enjoyed as a treasure of mystical insight for hundreds of years. The rich symbolism involving the many characters, both animal and human, present a challenge when seeking to understand the intended meaning of those symbols. This challenge can become an obstacle if there is not some basic level of guidance available to the serious reader. The intention of this work is to provide enough explanation so that the reader can begin to understand the language of the symbols Rumi uses in his magnificent poem of 25,000 verses.

In his Mathnawí, Rumi presents us with a new way of considering the flow of life surrounding us, learning to see the hidden messages which are typically overlooked. When the background noise is at a high level, the subtle voices from the unseen world become lost in the clamor of background events. Recognizing the source of all this external turmoil makes it possible to reduce the noise, to find a quiet place to let what has been hidden come into view. Rumi ventured out on this journey of self discovery when he met Shams. His story is told in the Mathnawí, a tale which has its presence and life within all of us. I hope this commentary is able to help make the journey through the Mathnawí a pleasant path of discovery, or maybe even a joyful and fascinating discovery of secret dimensions.