A gorgeous book, full of lush imagery. A collection which sings across the centuries to speak to us even in the 21st Century. Love, God, and spiritual solace uplift the reader on the powerful twin wings of hope and awe.

This is an excellent edition of Hallaj's iconic poetry. There're several informative and thorough essays on the background of Hallaj's life and legacy. The poems are organized on their symbolic themes which makes this a good reference. Each poem itself has an intro that offers an interpretation of it which illuminates the meanings of the poems themselves. This is probably best for someone with some familiarity with Sufi literature, will be invaluable for students really delving into the art, but is also a nice way for a complete beginner to gain some familiarity with Arabic poetry styles and Sufi belief systems.

The meat of these poems is rich and laden with subtle veins that give it a deep sense of intimacy. They pulse at the edges with emotion. Hallaj’s poems began addressed to the ideas of lovers, as many poets do, and they graduated as they evolved to more ambitious and intense heights of pain, joy and faith.

To paint a bit of backdrop behind this collection, Husayn ibn Mansur Hallaj (also known as Mansur al-Hallaj) was a Persian poet and teacher of Sufism, a religion related to Islam, well known for his writings and preachings in the 9th century until his execution in the midst of political discord around the year 922. All of his poems, save for the early quarter in the beginning, revolve and intertwine heavily with spirituality and his relationship with God.

The sheer amount of work that went into both the original poems, their translation and compilation is visibly astounding – Hallaj is heavy in detail, reference, and artfulness with its change from Arabic to English. The translator leaves extensive notes regarding what had to be changed and what could not be changed in the linguistics, considering how distinct the two languages are from each other. It’s also an exhaustive and endlessly fascinating study of the intricacies of Sufism.

The only thing I considered to detract from it – more in design than in quality – are the interpretations and histories given to introduce each poem, when I feel it would leave more to the imagination if they came afterwards, letting the reader make what they will of it before knowing more about the piece.

It is otherwise a flawless book, whether you are more interested in it for religion, history or poetry. It has a depth you don’t see nearly often enough in inspirational writing.

Quotes

--“You lit two fires within me, one in my ribs and the other in my guts. And I have never turned to quench my thirst without seeing your reflection in the water. That fire cools my heart like ice, and a sword blow is softer than separation from my love.”

--“When a youth reaches perfection from desire, and loses the remembered one in memory’s pride, he witnesses truth when desire attests to him that lovers’ perfection is infidelity.”

--“While love remains secret, it’s dangerous, and ultimate safety meant to lower one’s guard. The most beautiful love is the one that gossip betrays, just as fire is useless when it remains in the stone.”

--“Your spirit was mixed in my spirit, just like wine and clear water. If something touches you, it touches me, for you are I in every state.”

I was excited to read this book because - like many - I've enjoyed popular poets like Rumi, Hafiz & Attar in the past. Sufi poetry is popular around the world for its arresting imagery, sincerity & frequent direct address to the reader. The Sufi poets so often seem to speak to a reader directly & with passion, which is why it strikes readers so deeply. 

Since Hallaj's poems are hard to find, I began this new book with great enthusiasm. That the author is a noted scholar made me hope I would get detailed information on the meaning & cultural basis of Hallaj's works, as well as interesting details on his verse forms & language. 

Of course I was also hoping to read beautiful burnished English renditions of each poem. 

Sadly, I was disappointed in the verses, which are largely translated with a rare clunkiness. Only a few verses really shone. 

The linguistic, cultural & poetic information I sought is largely confined to brief endnotes & mixed with technical references. Any new edition would I hope pull this engaging & useful information up front as it's better than the often dismissive opening remarks that currently accompany each poem. Leave the scholarly citations for the endnotes. Working to smooth the language of the poems with a poet would be quite beneficial too. 

Hallaj is such a difficult & complex figure, but one revered by the Sufi poets I most admire. So reading this book despite its flaws was a pleasure & helped me understand other Sufi poems better. And if you admire Rumi or Hafiz, you'll want to read Hallj too, as Rumi alludes to his work often in his own verses. 

This book leans more towards the Arabic scholar than the poetry reader but I was grateful to have the chance to read it all the same. I did recommend it on Instagram to several of my Rumi-loving friends.

Love Sufi poetry and this book didn't fail to impress. Its great that the poetry has been translated from Arabic,, which gives us a chance to enjoy poetry of this type at its best.  Highly recommend it

Hallaj was a major Sufi poet who was executed in the year 922 (by western reckoning). This book presents, in English translation, a substantial selection of poems that have been attributed to him (some with less certainty than others). There is an introduction, and then each poem is preceded by a short explanation, with more detailed notes at the end of the book. The poems are grouped by theme, and reflect core Sufi approaches - the search for ecstatic union with God; the emphasis on divine love; the use of the language of earthly love to describe the spiritual; the emphasis on inner experience...

I had come across next to none of Hallaj’s work before, and found the book well worth reading. I did not feel the translations worked as poetry - they seemed to me more like raw material for a skilled poet unfamiliar with the original language to work on. But they gave a good flavour of Hallaj’s approach to using poetry to express the spiritual, and - helped by the short explanations - of what he was seeking to convey.

Unfortunately, this isn't the type of poetry that I enjoy. The book is also incredibly academic so not for me!

I feel like I have to start this by saying I am not at all qualified to talk about Sufi poetry. The only thing I can tell you about it is that I enjoy reading it.

Like many people here, most of my exposure to it was Rumi. Even at the university level. I feel like that's ridiculous.

Not that Rumi isn't spectacular, it's just that it's like eating one piece of delicious cake and declaring that it is the only flavor cake you ever need to eat again. Nobody does that. I don't think we should do it with this kind of poetry. 

Hallaj was a fascinating person and I can't believe I hadn't heard of him before. He was a martyr and had some radical ways, like bringing Sufi teachings out to the public, that were interesting. 

If you did like Rumi, I feel like you will enjoy Hallaj's poetry. They don't read the same, like one I feel was this introspective riddle and the other like watching fire dance around, but the themes in many cases were similar. 


I liked the book. I really did. 

But, having said this, the long introduction and explanations for every poem make this not a poetry-lovers book, but a historian's one. 

It's probably needed, many of us don't have a lot of experience with Sufi poems, but more often than not, I found myself skimming the explanations and only going back to them if I found a line that I couldn't relate to or seemed out of place. 

This would make an excellent textbook for that reason, but if that scholarly presence is something that bothers you, keep that in mind before grabbing this title. I still recommend it overall, though.

Hallaj: Poems of a Sufi Martyr by Husayn ibn Mansur Hallaj and translated from the Arabic by Carl W. Ernst is a collection of 117 poems by the Persian mystic poet. Al-Hallja lived from 853 to 922 AD. He was executed for proclaiming, "I am the Truth." The phrase was interpreted in two ways. The first as a mystic who annihilated his ego which allows God to speak through him. Others say this as a claim that he was divine. The later having the power had him executed.

The poems are translated by Carl W. Ernst who is the Kenan Distinguished Professor of Islamic studies at the Department of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Ernest provides both a detailed introduction, which covers more than enough ground to allow a novice to understand the poet and a very detailed section of notes, cited sources, and break down of the poems. The poems are categorized by subject allowing for an easy grouping in English. The groupings include conventional love poems, mystic love poems, martyrdom, riddles, and, perhaps the most interesting, metaphysics among other titles. Each poem is prefaced by a few sentences or more to put the poem into proper context. A lone couplet needs some background to understand its importance. Other introductions explain the cultural or religious importance of the poems.  For example: 

55. Temple and Light

This poem presents an anthropology describing, first, the elemental and
material human body, then the luminous spark that is divine.


Body like a temple, luminous of heart,
        spirit that’s eternal, devout, wise,
he returns with the spirit to its lords,
        but the temple remains rotting in the dust.

The work of al-Hallja opens the world of early Islamic culture to the West.  He predates the popular Rumi by three centuries and can be used to see the evolution of Islamic culture.  The Sufi search inward for God.  They believe that in destroying one's ego one can talk through God.  It seems to be a compliment to Buddhism in practice but not dogma. Perhaps translations of Islamic poets can help others see that Islam is a religion of peace.  Al- Hallja is an enlightened writer and poet who practiced and wrote inside of his faith.  The use of God by the poet seems to fit many religions view of God and peaceful existence. A great collection for those interested in not only poetry but culture.

Hallaj is a beautifully written poetry book. I found myself touched by all the poems in this book one of my favorites was “the cure for love”, my favorite verse ..” I am sick and ailing so heal me with your cure” all these poems are so beautiful and I can relate on a personality level definitely worth a read and since it’s poetry it means a lot more

Learned a lot about Arabic poetry. Not quite what I was expecting, though.

This is truly a wonderful book to behold, and you do not have to be interested in Islam and most specifically Sufism to enjoy this.  Husayn ibn Mansur al-Hallaj was executed for his views on both religion and politics, and he has always been a controversial figure, but as you see if you decide to read this book, it may have more to do with his outspoken ideas and genius than anything else.

Carl W Ernst gives us here a well thought out book, in not only do we have the poetry but also a lot of information on the man himself, Arabian poetry and other topics, which really helps to put everything into context.  This book is also well set out giving us the information we need in the right places.  Telling us how this was put together, and what Ernst looked for in his choice of how to translate the poetry, this has also been set out in subject matter, rather than the usual Arabian style, which makes it easier for us Westerners to understand.  Thus we have sections on conventional love lyrics, mystical love poems, martyrdom, metaphysics, prayers and sermons, riddles, the spiritual path, and union.

With appendixes as well as footnotes, etc this is certainly a comprehensive and very useful book.  So why bother reading some Islamist mystic from so long ago?  After all he was executed in 922.  There are many reasons for reading him, as not only does it give us an understanding of a foreign culture and its past, but the words that Hallaj spoke are still very relevant.  He helped not only to dispel the ideas that poetry and mysticism were for the elite, but also that to look for God we have to look inwards.  We all know for instance people who go to Church on Sunday, go through the motions and think they are religious, whilst living a far from ideal lifestyle the rest of the time.

With miracles attributed to him in his lifetime, including a famous one as he was executed, so it wasn’t really until Louis Massignon brought the attention of the West to al-Hallaj in the early 20th Century that the fame of this man became more widespread.

I am not religious, but I appreciate that many are, and perhaps reading this book people will realise that to get on and stop all the hate in the world we have to respect and help each other.  After all not all these poems are religious, as they take in the love for one another, as well as more personal love and passion, something we can all associate with.  In all then this is an enjoyable and thoughtful read that is ideal to dip into and contemplate certain truths.

I was kindly provided with a review copy of this by the publisher via NetGalley for reviewing purposes.