The Root and the Blossom

Born in 1884, Khalila Shahin was a pillar of the spiritual community in the Levant. A Sufi mystic, she and her teachings were venerated across the region, from Aleppo to Konya and Istanbul. Khalila was also a gifted poet, who wrote deeply philosophical verse in accordance with Arabic literary traditions. She was never published in the West, but her poetry was immensely popular in Syria and the wider Middle East. This volume collects some of her greatest unpublished mystical poetry. This is the first English translation of her work.