Edition: U.S. / Global

JALALUDDIN RUMI; Iran's Greatest Poet

Published: December 27, 1998

To the Editor:

I read Don Shewey's article ''An Ancient Poet Suddenly Ubiquitous'' [Dec. 6] with interest.

Jalaluddin Rumi, also known as Mawlana, was born in Balkh, then an acclaimed center of learning in Iran. Rumi is considered the greatest mystic poet of Iran. His monumental work, comprising some 26,000 verses known as the Masnavi, is looked upon by Iranian Sufi orders as most sacred. His collected work, also known as ''Kolliyat Shams Tabrizi,'' is dedicated to his guru, Shams of Tabriz, another renowned Iranian mystic.

Although Rumi lived much of his adult life, and died, in Konya, Turkey, the bulk of his writing is in Persian. His poetry and parables are part of the popular culture of Iran and are commonly quoted and recited. As an Iranian, I am immensely proud and delighted to see that Rumi's work is being widely recognized in the West at a time when my country's image is otherwise tarnished.


Greenwich, Conn.