Brian Patten, Abbas Zahedi

The sign of being in love’s the aching heart
There is no suffering like the suffering heart

Sufism and the encounters that it facilitates with God, love, and the deepest aspects of human consciousness, have evoked feelings in Sufis that have led to the creation of some of the most beautiful and profound poetry ever written. The poems of Rumi, Attar and Hafez continue to inspire to this day and Sufi poetry continues in both traditional Islamic languages and also with English language poets.

Join us for a poetic feast of the senses as, after an introduction to the Mathnavi of Rumi, world renowned poet Brian Patten and spoken word artist Sukina Owen-Douglas recite English poetry – the well spring of whose inspiration lies within the poetry of the Sufi masters and reflects their own spirituality.

The performances will conclude with a chance to experience the famous practice of whirling, which is a form of dhikr or remembrance of God.