''The Conference of the Birds'' or ''Speech of the Birds'' ( fa, منطق الطیر, ''Manṭiq-uṭ-Ṭayr'', also known as ''Maqāmāt-uṭ-Ṭuyūr''; 1177) is a Persian poem by
Sufi
Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, ...
poet
Farid ud-Din Attar
Abū Ḥamīd bin Abū Bakr Ibrāhīm (c. 1145 – c. 1221; fa, ابو حامد بن ابوبکر ابراهیم), better known by his pen-names Farīd ud-Dīn () and ʿAṭṭār of Nishapur (, Attar means apothecary), was a PersianRitter, H. ( ...
, commonly known as Attar of Nishapur. The title is taken directly from the
Qur’an
The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (pl.: , sing.: ...
27:16 where
Sulayman
Sulayman (Arabic: سُلِيمَان ''sulaymān'') is an Arabic name of the Biblical king and Islamic prophet Solomon meaning "man of peace", derived from the Hebrew name Shlomo.
The name Sulayman is a diminutive of the name Salman (سَلْ ...
(
Solomon
Solomon (; , ),, ; ar, سُلَيْمَان, ', , ; el, Σολομών, ; la, Salomon also called Jedidiah (Hebrew language, Hebrew: , Modern Hebrew, Modern: , Tiberian Hebrew, Tiberian: ''Yăḏīḏăyāh'', "beloved of Yahweh, Yah"), ...
) and
Dāwūd (
David
David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...
) are said to have been taught the language, or speech, of the birds (''manṭiq al-ṭayr''). Attar’s death, as with his life, is subject to speculation. He is known to have lived and died a violent death in the massacre inflicted by Genghis Khan and the Mongol army on the city of Nishapur in 1221, when he was seventy years old.
Synopsis
In the poem, the birds of the world gather to decide who is to be their sovereign, as they have none. The
hoopoe
Hoopoes () are colourful birds found across Africa, Asia, and Europe, notable for their distinctive "crown" of feathers. Three living and one extinct species are recognized, though for many years all of the extant species were lumped as a single ...
, the wisest of them all, suggests that they should find the legendary
Simorgh
Simurgh (; fa, سیمرغ, also spelled ''simorgh, simorg'', ''simurg'', ''simoorg, simorq'' or ''simourv'') is a benevolent, mythical bird in Persian mythology and literature. It is sometimes equated with other mythological birds such as the ...
. The hoopoe leads the birds, each of whom represents a human fault which prevents human kind from attaining enlightenment.
The hoopoe tells the birds that they have to cross seven valleys in order to reach the abode of Simorgh. These valleys are as follows:
[''The Conference of the Birds'' by Attar, edited and translated by ]Sholeh Wolpé
Sholeh Wolpé ( fa, شعله ولپی) is an American poet, playwright, and literary translator. She was born in Iran, and lived in Trinidad and England during her teenage years, before settling in the United States.
Biography
Sholeh Wolpé was ...
, W. W. Norton & Co 2017
Sholeh Wolpé
Sholeh Wolpé ( fa, شعله ولپی) is an American poet, playwright, and literary translator. She was born in Iran, and lived in Trinidad and England during her teenage years, before settling in the United States.
Biography
Sholeh Wolpé was ...
writes, "When the birds hear the description of these valleys, they bow their heads in distress; some even die of fright right then and there. But despite their trepidations, they begin the great journey. On the way, many perish of thirst, heat or illness, while others fall prey to wild beasts, panic, and violence. Finally, only thirty birds make it to the abode of Simorgh. In the end, the birds learn that they themselves are the Simorgh; the name “Simorgh” in Persian means thirty (si) birds (morgh). They eventually come to understand that the majesty of that Beloved is like the sun that can be seen reflected in a mirror. Yet, whoever looks into that mirror will also behold his or her own image."
Commentary
Attar's use of symbolism is a key, driving component of the poem. This handling of symbolisms and allusions can be seen reflected in these lines:
Beside the symbolic use of the Simorgh, the allusion to China is also very significant. According to
Idries Shah
Idries Shah (; hi, इदरीस शाह, ps, ادريس شاه, ur, ; 16 June 1924 – 23 November 1996), also known as Idris Shah, né Sayed Idries el- Hashimi (Arabic: سيد إدريس هاشمي) and by the pen name Arko ...
, China as used here, is not the geographical China, but the symbol of mystic experience, as inferred from the Hadith (declared weak by Ibn Adee, but still used symbolically by some Sufis): "Seek knowledge; even as far as China".
There are many more examples of such subtle symbols and allusions throughout the Mantiq.
Within the larger context of the story of the journey of the birds, Attar masterfully tells the reader many didactic short, sweet stories in captivating poetic style.
Sholeh Wolpé, in the foreword of her modern translation of this work writes:
Wolpé further writes: "The book is meant to be not only instructive but also entertaining."
English translations
*
*, reissued by
Routledge
Routledge () is a British multinational publisher. It was founded in 1836 by George Routledge, and specialises in providing academic books, journals and online resources in the fields of the humanities, behavioural science, education, law, and ...
and
Kegan Paul
Charles Kegan Paul (8 March 1828 – 19 July 1902) was an English clergyman, publisher and author. He began his adult life as a clergyman of the Church of England, and served the Church for more than 20 years. His religious orientation moved fr ...
Ltd, 1961.
*, re-edited as ''The Canticle of the Birds'', Diane de Sellier Éditeur, 2013.
*.
*.
*.
*.
''La Conférence des oiseaux'' and other theatrical adaptations
Peter Brook
Peter Stephen Paul Brook (21 March 1925 – 2 July 2022) was an English theatre and film director. He worked first in England, from 1945 at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, from 1947 at the Royal Opera House, and from 1962 for the Royal Shak ...
and
Jean-Claude Carrière
Jean-Claude Carrière (; 17 September 1931 – 8 February 2021) was a French novelist, screenwriter and actor. He received an Academy Award for best short film for co-writing '' Heureux Anniversaire'' (1963), and was later conferred an Honorary ...
adapted the poem into a play titled ''La Conférence des oiseaux'' (''The Conference of the Birds''), which they published in 1979. Brook toured embryonic versions of the play around rural Africa during the visit of his
International Centre for Theatre Research The International Centre for Theatre Research, sometimes also known as The International Centre for Theatre Creation, was founded in 1970 by Peter Brook and Micheline Rozan. It is often abbreviated to the acronym CIRT, as in French the group is call ...
to that continent in 1972–73, before presenting two extremely successful productions to Western audiences—one in New York City at
La MaMa E.T.C.
La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club (La MaMa E.T.C.) is an Off-Off-Broadway theatre founded in 1961 by Ellen Stewart, African-American theatre director, producer, and fashion designer. Located in Manhattan's East Village, the theatre began in the ...
, and one in Paris.
John Heilpern
John David Heilpern (8 April 1942 – 7 January 2021) was a British theatre critic, journalist, and author who worked both in the United Kingdom and the United States. He was a contributing editor to '' Vanity Fair'' (where he wrote the "Out To ...
gives an account of the events surrounding the early development of the play in his 1977 book ''
Conference of the Birds: The Story of Peter Brook in Africa''.
Sholeh Wolpe's stage adaptation of ''The Conference of the Birds'' was premiered by Inferno Theatre and Ubuntu Theater Project (now Oakland Theater Project), in
Oakland
Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay A ...
California in November 2018.
Illustrations
Collection at the
Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 ...
, New York. Folio from an illustrated Persian manuscript dated c.1600. Paintings by
Habiballah of Sava (active ca. 1590–1610), in ink, opaque watercolor, gold, and silver on paper, dimensions 25,4 x 11,4 cm.
"The Concourse of the Birds", Folio 11r from a Mantiq al-tair (Language of the Birds), The Met
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File:"The Concourse of the Birds", Folio 11r from a Mantiq al-tair (Language of the Birds) MET DT227734.jpg
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File:"The Concourse of the Birds", Folio 11r from a Mantiq al-tair (Language of the Birds) MET DT227736.jpg
File:"The Concourse of the Birds", Folio 11r from a Mantiq al-tair (Language of the Birds) MET DT227737.jpg
See also
*Language of the birds
In Abrahamic and European mythology, medieval literature and occultism, the language of the birds is postulated as a mystical, perfect divine language, Adamic language, Enochian, angelic language or a mythical or magical language used by birds ...
*Panentheism
Panentheism ("all in God", from the Greek language, Greek grc, πᾶν, pân, all, label=none, grc, ἐν, en, in, label=none and grc, Θεός, Theós, God, label=none) is the belief that the Divinity, divine intersects every part of Univers ...
*''Parlement of Foules
The ''Parlement of Foules'' (modernized: ''Parliament of Fowls''), also called the ''Parlement of Briddes'' (''Parliament of Birds'') or the ''Assemble of Foules'' (''Assembly of Fowls''), is a poem by Geoffrey Chaucer (1343?–1400) made up ...
''
*Persian literature
Persian literature ( fa, ادبیات فارسی, Adabiyâte fârsi, ) comprises oral compositions and written texts in the Persian language and is one of the world's oldest literatures. It spans over two-and-a-half millennia. Its sources h ...
*''The Approach to Al-Mu'tasim
"The Approach to Al-Mu'tasim" (original Spanish title: "El acercamiento a Almotásim") is a fantasy short story written in 1935 by Argentinian writer Jorge Luis Borges. In his autobiographical essay, Borges wrote about "The Approach to Al-Mu'tas ...
''
*''The Seven Valleys
''The Seven Valleys'' ( fa, ''Haft-Vádí'') is a book written in Persian by Baháʼu'lláh, the founder of the Baháʼí Faith. ''The Seven Valleys'' follows the structure of the Persian poem ''The Conference of the Birds''.
''The Seven Vall ...
'' (Baháʼí Faith
The Baháʼí Faith is a religion founded in the 19th century that teaches the Baháʼí Faith and the unity of religion, essential worth of all religions and Baháʼí Faith and the unity of humanity, the unity of all people. Established by ...
)
References
Sources
*Attar, ''Conference of the Birds'', translated by Sholeh Wolpé
Sholeh Wolpé ( fa, شعله ولپی) is an American poet, playwright, and literary translator. She was born in Iran, and lived in Trinidad and England during her teenage years, before settling in the United States.
Biography
Sholeh Wolpé was ...
, W. W. Norton & Co 2017,
*Attar, Harvey & Masani, ''Conference of the Birds: A Seeker's Journey to God'', Weiser Books
Red Wheel Weiser Conari, also known in different periods in its history as RedWheel/Weiser, LLC and Samuel Weiser, Inc., is a book publisher with three imprints: Red Wheel, Weiser Books and Conari Books. It is America's second-largest publisher ...
, 2001,
*Farid Ud-Din-Attar, ''The Conference of The Birds - Mantiq Ut-Tair'', English Translation by Charles Stanley Nott Charles Stanley Nott (1887–1978) was an author, publisher, translator and a student of G. I. Gurdjieff. He first met Gurdjieff and A. R. Orage in New York in 1923. He spent time at the Institute for the Harmonious Development of Man and became a ...
, First published 1954 by The Janus Press, London, Reissued by Routledge
Routledge () is a British multinational publisher. It was founded in 1836 by George Routledge, and specialises in providing academic books, journals and online resources in the fields of the humanities, behavioural science, education, law, and ...
and Kegan Paul
Charles Kegan Paul (8 March 1828 – 19 July 1902) was an English clergyman, publisher and author. He began his adult life as a clergyman of the Church of England, and served the Church for more than 20 years. His religious orientation moved fr ...
Ltd, 1961,
* Fariduddin Attar in Great Poets of Classical Persian" by R M Chopra, 2014, Sparrow Publication, Kolkata, .
External links
Attar, the Sufi, the poet
World Literature Today
''World Literature Today'' is an American magazine of international literature and culture, published at the University of Oklahoma. The stated goal of the magazine is to publish international essays, poetry, fiction, interviews, and book review ...
* Bird Parliament Fitzgerald
The FitzGerald/FitzMaurice Dynasty is a noble and aristocratic dynasty of Cambro-Norman, Anglo-Norman and later Hiberno-Norman origin. They have been peers of Ireland since at least the 13th century, and are described in the Annals of the ...
translation, at archive.org.
Abridged Edward FitzGerald translation of Attar's ''Conference of the Birds''
* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20100429160137/http://www.fiveartscentre.org/pf06.php ''Conference of the Birds'', an opera by Johan Othman and libretto by William Radice
Persian text of ''The Conference of Birds'', with recitation in Persian by members of the Chamekhan Group.
Presentation of ''The Canticle of the Birds'', Diane de Sellier Éditeur, 2013
{{DEFAULTSORT:Conference of the Birds, The
1170s books
Persian poems
Sufi literature
Attar of Nishapur
Poems about birds
The Conference of the Birds