The Speech of the Birds The Mantiqu’t-Tair of Faridu’d-Din ‘Attar Presented by Peter Avery The Islamic Texts Society (1992) ISBN 0946621705 Hardback $97.99 Paperback $44.99

Mantiqu’t-Tair is one of the masterpieces of Persian literature of which a complete and annotated translation into English is here presented for the first time as The Speech of the Birds. The text revolves around the decision of the birds of the world to seek out a king. Their debilitating doubts and fears, the knowing counsel of their leader Hoopoe, and their choice of the Simurgh as a king, is in reality an allegory of the spiritual path of Sufism with its demands, its hazards and its infinite rewards. The poem contains many admonitory anecdotes and exemplary stories, including numerous references to some of the early Muslim mystics such as Rabi’a al-’Adawiyya, Abu Sa’id ibn Abi’l-Khair, Mansur al-Hallaj and Shibli, among others. In The Speech of the Birds, Peter Avery has not only given us a precise and moving translation, but also ample annotation providing much information to fill in what Attar would have expected his readers to know. The result is a fascinating insight into a remarkable aspect of Islam: the world of ecstatic love of the Persian mystics. The Speech of the Birds will be of interest to everyone who values great literature, as well as to all students of Persian and Sufism.

Brought up in a Sufi ambiance, the author of this work, Faridu’d-Din Attar (1145-1221), was an apothecary who lived near Nishapur. Attar, whom legend describes as having taken to the Sufi path in earnest after he witnessed a dervish surrender his soul outside his shop, went on to become one of the most famous Sufi poets in history, best known for his classical work the Mantiqu’t-Tair.

Peter Avery was Persian lecturer at Cambridge from 1958 until 1990.

‘Avery’s The Speech of the Birds is the first complete translation in prose of Attar’s Mantiqu’t-Tair. More important, Avery’s copious notes...are invaluable - a real mini-encyclopaedia of mysticism in general and of Sufism in particular, which enhances the understanding and the pleasure of poetry.’ Times Higher Education Supplement

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Excerpt from Book - The Hopooe's Lead

The hopooe agitated, full of expectation,
Entered into the midst of the assembly impatient.

A gown there was on his shoulders, betokening the Path.
A crown there was of the Truth upon his head.

Swift of perception was he, having entered the Way:
Having of Good and evil become aware.

He said, “O birds I am without doubt
Both the messenger of the Presence and the courier of the Invisible.

I have both become informed of every Majesty
And through perception become Master of Mysteries.

He who was borne ‘In the name of God’ (Bismillah) in his beak’
It’s not unlikely he should have discovered many secrets!

I pass my days minding my own business:
Nobody has anything to do with me.

Since I am free of creatures, necessarily
Creatures have no truck with me either.

Since I am preoccupied with pangs for the Padshah,
Never for me is there any concern for the crowd.

I reveal water through my divining power.
Many secrets do I know other than this one.

With Solomon have I come forward in conversing:
Consequently to his troops I have become superior.

Whoever goes missing from his realm, ah the wonder that any should!
He does not inquire after nor search for.

I, when I was missed by him on one occasion,
He started up a search far and wide.

Because he cannot do without me a single moment,
For eternity without end the hopooe enjoys this dignity.

I took his letter and came back:
With him behind the curtain I became the sharer of the secret.

Whoever’s sought after by a prophet,
It is befitting for him if there’s a crown on his head.

Whosoever’s divinely remembered for goodness,
When might any other bird whatsoever catch up with him?

Years on land and sea have I been wandering:
Keeping my feet on the Path have I travelled to the end.

I have traversed valleys and mountains and deserts.
A world have I overflown in the time of the Deluge.

With Solomon on journeys have I been.
Many a time the surface of the world have I criss-crossed.

My own king have I known;
How might I proceed alone when I am not able to?

But if with me you become companions on the march,
You’ll become the confidant of that King and that Court.

You’ll escape from the shame of your own self-regard;
Why further the ignominy of your lack of faith?

Whoever for Him stakes his life is liberated from the self:
In the Path of the Beloved, liberated from good and evil.

Sacrifice life and step out onto the road.
Feet dancing head for that Portal!

There is for us a King undisputable,
Behind a mountain that is the Mount of Qaf.

His name is Simurgh, Sultan of Birds;
He is to us close but we from Him distant far.

In the sanctuary of Glory is His nest.
Not within the compass of every tongue is His name.

Hundreds of thousands of veils he has and more,
Both of light and of darkness in front of Him.

In both worlds nobody has the gall
To be able to find any part of Him.

Always he is the Absolute Sovereign.
In the perfection of His Majesty is He immersed.

He does not reveal Himself there where He is;
How might learning and sense reach that place He is?

There is no road to Him, no patience on His account:
Hundreds of creatures maddened on His account.

His description since it eludes the pure soul,
Reason has no reserve of the capital for comprehending;

Of necessity both reason and soul stay abashed,
For His attributes, their two eyes are left unavailing.

No man of learning has perceived His perfection.
No sight has beheld His beauty.

To His perfection creation finds no access.
Knowledge falters and sight does not find the way.

The portion of created beings, of this perfection and this beauty,
Is, if you put them together, a fistful of illusions.

In fantasy how should this road be traversed?
How can you with the fish the moon enfold?

There a hundred thousand heads would be like polo balls
Ha Ha’s and Hu’s are there!

Vastness that are dry, vastness that are seas are along the way,
Least you should suppose that it’s a short way.

A lion-man is needed for this road, mighty,
Because it’s a long road and the sea deep, deep.

It is to be expected that we should proceed amazed:
In His way that we should proceed laughing and crying.

If we find a sign of Him, that would be something!
And if not, living without Him would be destitution.

When might life without the Beloved be of any use?
If you’re a man, bear not life without the Beloved!

Completion of this road needs a man:
Forfeiting life this Gate needs.

Hands must be washed of life manly-wise,
That it might be said, ‘You’re a man of purpose’.

Since life without the Beloved is worth nothing at all,
Like good troopers throw precious life away.

If you, like a brave, sacrifice life,
Life abundant the Beloved will make your rewards!”

STORY
A robber came up with some unlucky fellow.
Tying his hands, he had him at his mercy.

He went off to fetch a sword to cut off his head.
It was then that his wife gave the captive a crust of bread.

When the man came back with the sword,
Then he saw that the poor wretch had a piece of bread in his hand.

He asked, “Who gave you, you friendless one, bread?”
The man answered, “None but your own gave it.”

When the man heard this complete answer,
He said, “Killing you has become forbidden to me,

Because any man who’s broken our bread,
The sword may not be turned against him.

To one who’s eaten our bread there’s no begrudging life.
How might I spill his blood with the sword?”

O Creator, I have brought myself onto the Path:
the bread I have eaten is from Your table.

When someone breaks the bread of another,
He puts that other under obligation.

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