Haleh Liza Gafori is a translator, musician, poet, and educator born in New York City of Persian descent. Her book of translations, GOLD: Poems by Rumi, was released by New York Review Books/Penguin Random House in March of 2022. Haleh grew up hearing recitations of Persian poetry and has maintained and deepened her connection with the work through singing and translating poetry by various Persian poets, including the 13th century mystic and sage Rumi. With ears tuned to contemporary American poetry as well as to the subtleties of the Persian text, cultural context, and array of meanings animating certain words, Haleh brings a welcome depth and precision to the translations. Haleh teaches classes on Rumi’s poetry at universities, festivals, and institutions across the country. Weaving song, translation, and story, she has performed at venues such as Lincoln Center and the Bonnaroo Festival. A graduate of Stanford University, her own writings have been published by Columbia University Press and Literary Hub.