Peter Cole is a prolific translator of Hebrew and
Arabic texts, and he brings to his translations the deft hand of a man who
writes his own English language poetry.
So it should be no surprise that his The
Poetry of Kabbalah: Mystical Verse from the Jewish Tradition is a very
readable and accessible volume.
Cole wants to reach a wide audience, and walks the
line between an academic and popular treatment of the subject. Different topics are discussed before texts
are introduced, giving the reader a key into the significance of the translated
verse. For those who wish to delve into
the details of the translations, and further historical information, there is
an extensive notes section (which occupies about a fourth of the book).
So, Cole has compiled a comprehensive volume
on the poetry of Jewish mysticism that should satisfy almost any interested
reader.
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