Conference of Birds ANNOTATION
Here is the great 12th-century mystical poem in an inexpensive unabridged translation.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
Conference Of The Birds is one of the great works of world
literature. In this new reissue of C. S. Nott's classic prose translation,
this epic poem explores the nature of the spiritual path through an allegory
of the brave birds who go in search of their king through the valleys of
exultation and despair that represent the stages of the seeker as he travels
toward enlightenment. Interspersed throughout their journey are timeless
tales of prophets and kings, saints and sinners, lovers and scoundrels.
Farid ud-Din Attar was the predecessor of the great Persian
Sufi poet Jalalludin Rumi. They are reputed to have met when Rumi was a
boy. Rumi obviously found much inspiration in Attar and uses the same technique
of weaving wisdom within entertaining and amusing tales.
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
Attar, along with Chaucer and
Dante, is a great genius of community and how that involves the path toward
enlightenment. We are these bird-beings searching for the source of what
we are together. — Coleman Barks
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