The Conference of the Birds
American Journal of Islam and Society October 29, 2021 Chad G. Lingwood
In medieval Islamic civilization, poetry was the most intimate medium for conveying Sufism's hidden truths, as the spiritual journey toward God's unity defies ordinary prose. Persian poetry, with its metaphorical symbolism, puns, and paradoxes, emerged by the seventh/thirteenth century as an unparalleled vehicle for expressing mystical experience. The most dramatic expression is Farid al-Din `Attar's allegorical poem Mantiq al-Tair ("The Speech of the Birds"), which recounts birds' initiatory voyage through seven valleys to the palace of the mythical Simurgh, symbol of the Divine. The text reviews several English translations of this masterpiece, noting their fidelity and completeness.