The Conference of the Birds

Considered by Rumi to be the master of Sufi mystic poetry, Attar is best known for his epic poem The Conference of the Birds, a magnificent allegorical tale about the souls search for meaning. The poem recounts the perilous journey of the worlds birds to the faraway peaks of Mount Qaf, in search of the mysterious Simurgh, their king. Attars beguiling anecdotes and humour intermingle the sublime with the mundane, the spiritual with the worldly, and the religious with the metaphysical. Reflecting the entire evolution of Sufi mystic tradition, Attars poem models the souls escape from the minds rational embrace. Sholeh Wolp re-creates the beauty of the original Persian in contemporary English verse and poetic prose, capturing for the first time the beauty and timeless wisdom of Attars masterpiece for modern readers.