For years, copying other people, I tried to know myself.
From within, I couldn't decide what to do.
Unable to see, I heard my name being called.
Then I walked outside.

The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you.
Don't go back to sleep.
You must ask for what you really want.
Don't go back to sleep.
People are going back and forth across the doorsill
where the two worlds touch.
The door is round and open.
Don't go back to sleep.


During his lifetime Rumi was a prolific writer composing many odes and poems. Rumi's poetry has witnessed a resurgence in interest in the West. This is largely due to versions by Modern translators such as Coleman Barks. Many of these versions do not stick closely to the literal translation but seek to capture the "essence" of the mystical nature of Rumi's poems. These poems are a brief selection from different English translations.