The Conference of the Birds by Farid Attar

The Conference of the Birds by Farid Attar

Composed in the twelfth century in north-eastern Iran, Attar's great mystical poem is among the most significant of all works of Persian literature. A marvellous, allegorical rendering of the Islamic doctrine of Sufism - an esoteric system concerned with the search for truth through God - it describes the consequences of the conference of the birds of the world when they meet to begin the search for their ideal king, the Simorgh bird. On hearing that to find him they must undertake an arduous journey, the birds soon express their reservations to their leader, the hoopoe. With eloquence and insight, however, the hoopoe calms their fears, using a series of riddling parables to provide guidance in the search for spiritual truth. By turns witty and profound, The Conference of the Birds transforms deep belief into magnificent poetry.

“This felicitous translation is a classic and reaches the widest possible audience” — David Azzolina, Assistant Professor, University of Pennsylvania

Dick Davis is an English-American poet and translator. Before the Islamic Revolution, Davis lived in Iran and taught English at the University of Tehran. Davis is now a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, and is considered to be one of the world's foremost translators of Persian literature. Dick Davis is an English-American poet and translator. Before the Islamic Revolution, Davis lived in Iran and taught English at the University of Tehran. Davis is now a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, and is considered to be one of the world's foremost translators of Persian literature.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780140444346
ISBN 10	0140444343
Title	The Conference of the Birds
Author	Farid Attar
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Penguin Books Ltd
Year published	1984-03-29
Number of pages	304
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.