Biography
Performances by poet, actor, and author Shahram Shiva bring the verses of early-13th century Persian mystic and poet Rumi into vivid presence. The sole prominent artist to deliver Rumi’s poetry in English translations alongside the original Persian, Shiva received this description from avant-garde composer Philip Glass: a "wealth of new and quite beautiful translations." Composer and performer Robert Arthur Fish placed the line "Shahram speaks with the fervor of ancient Sufi master Rumi" on his debut album Fish on the Desert. Long devoted to Eastern mystical traditions, Shiva began translating Rumi’s poetry in 1988 and gave his first public performance four years later. His opera Until the Next Whirl appeared at La Mama in New York from April 25 to May 5, 1998, with Shiva in the lead role. He has written three books: Rumi, Thief of Sleep: Quatrains from the Persian, Hush Don't Say Anything to God: Passionate Poems of Rumi, and Reading the Veil: The Literal and Poetic Trance of Rumi.
Albums
