This encore edition is a tribute to Coleman Barks, who at 88 years of age died on February 23,

2026. In addition to being a world-renowned poet, Coleman was a mystic, a lover of music, literature, and life, and a friend.

His roomy translations, from the heart, find a home in our hearts.

And his voice, warm and resounding, stays with us. Today my guest is Coleman Barks. Today, my guest is Coleman Barks.

Coleman Barks is a leading scholar and translator of the 13th century Persian mystic,

Jalaladin Rumi.

He taught poetry and creative writing at the University of Georgia for 30 years

and is the author of numerous

Rumi translations, and has been a student of Sufism since 1977. His work with Rumi was the subject

of an hour-long segment in Bill Moyers' Language of Life series on PBS. With sounds true,

Coleman Barks has released the audio programs, I Want Burning, the ecstatic world of Rumi, Hafiz, and Lala, a CD called Rumi, Voice of Longing,

and also a brand-new, beautiful three-cd collection, which is a collaboration

between Coleman Barks and cellist David Darling.

It's called Just Being Here, Rumi and Human Friendship.

In this episode of Insights at the Edge, Coleman Barks and I spoke about the relationship between Rumi and his teacher,

whom he called the friend, Shams of Tabriz, and how Coleman received insight into this friendship,

based on his own relationship with a Sufi teacher named Guru Bawa, Bawa Mujahideen.

We also spoke about how Coleman first began translating Rumi,

and how the translation process involves Coleman falling into a type of trance as part of the process.

Finally, Coleman and I spoke about grace,

and as part of our conversation,

we listened to some new pieces from the recording,

...