Sholeh Wolpe Translator: The Invisible Sun: A Guide for the Soul from Rumi's Master

In The Invisible Sun, your translation of Attar’s radiant Sufi teachings, you invite readers into a world where poetry becomes both compass and companion—guiding the soul toward clarity, humility, and awakening.

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Across these conversations, you reflect on what drew you to Attar’s work, how his lessons transcend dogma, and why his centuries-old metaphors strike with such contemporary force. From navigating the nuances of genderless Persian to preserving Attar’s boundless spiritual inclusivity, you reveal the intimate craft behind bringing a 12th-century mystic into the global present. In a time shaped by digital overload and existential hunger, your insights illuminate why voices like Attar and Rumi continue to matter—not as relics, but as urgent teachers of presence, tenderness, and inner transformation.

The Invisible Sun centers on Attar’s profound Sufi mysticism and the soul’s journey. What drew you to this particular work, and how do you feel its lessons resonate with today’s readers?

I have always been drawn to this luminous body of work, but my deeper engagement began when I grew disillusioned with how organized religions have been used to divide us, to police us, to strip away our essence. At their core, these traditions were born of love, tolerance, and the human longing for the Divine.

Attar’s poetry felt like a corrective. It is gorgeous literature, but also a map—precise, inspiring and profound—charting the souls’ journey toward what is Real. Translating him became a way to return to that essence without the noise of dogma.

His guidance transcends religious and cultural boundaries, which is why it resonates so powerfully with readers today. We are hungry for meaning, for clarity, for a path that does not demand obedience, but invites awakening.

In your translation, Attar’s guidance to abandon the ego stands out. How do the poems reinterpret traditional Sufi ideas for a modern audience seeking meaning beyond material life?