Fifty Shades of the Mystic East

Whilst the notion of the Mystic East and Oriental wisdom was greatly romanticised by the Victorians and others, the shadow of Colonialism has smudged the view. These great cultures are some of humanity’s earliest, their works, their art some of its most daring and most accomplished. In these 50 poems across 50 poets we hope, at least in part, to rebalance our view of this subject. We begin in the 6th century BC and travel with a poet’s words and eyes across India, China, Persia and many other places in between. The geography and culture may shift to different hues but the flavours, notions, musings and truths of these works bring both simplicity, majesty and beauty to these lands and peoples. Let us journey with poets such as Lao Tzu, Rumi, Mirabai, Gabirol and Guru Nanak on a journey to seek, to discover and find meaning in their verse that is so relevant to our lives today. 1 - Fifty Shades of the Mystic East - An Introduction 2 - Thiruppavi (An Extract) by Andal 3 - An Ocean Without