Mantıku't-Tayr: Kuşların Diliyle

by Attar of Nishapur, Mustafa Çiçekler (Translator)

4724 beyitten oluşan mesnevî tarzında yazılmış bu eserde Attâr, insanın hakikatı bulma çabasını anlatır.

Hakikat yolunun yolcuları kuşlarla simgelenmiştir, her biri ayrı bir insan karakterini temsil eder. Hüdhüd kuşu, bu kuşların önderi, yani mürşididir. Aradıkları Simurg adlı efsanevî kuş ise, Allah'ın zuhur edip âşikâr olmasıdır. Başlangıçta Simurg'a kavuşmak isteyen kuşlardan kimi yola çıkmak istemez, kimi ise yarı yolda vazgeçer ya da yolun güçlüklerine dayanamayıp ölür. Vahdet-i Vücud'a ulaşanlar ise, "Halkın Hakk'ın zuhuru, Hakk'ın halkın bütünü olduğunu" idrak edecektir.

Henüz küçük bir çocukken babası ile beraber Feridüd'dîn-i Attâr'ın evine misafir olan Mevlânâ Celâleddîn-i Rûmî, rüyasında nûr yüzlü bir pîrin, kendisine altı dallı bir gül fidanı verdiğini görür. Rüyasını anlattığında babası; "Altı dallı gül, senin altı ciltlik bir kitap yazacağına işarettir" der. O anda orada hazır bulunan Feridüd'dîn-i Attâr da; "Altı dallı güle kavuşuncaya kadar bu kitap ile meşgul olursunuz" diyerek Celâleddîn'e, Mantıku't-Tayr'ı hediye eder.

Genres: Poetry, Classics, Philosophy, Religion, Islam, Fiction, Literature

431 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1177

About the author

Conference of the Birds , masterpiece of Persian poet and mystic Attar, fully named Farid ad-Din Attar, allegorically surveys Sufism.

From Nishapur, an immense influence of better known pen, "the perfumer," of Abū amīd bin Abū Bakr Ibrāhīm, a Muslim theoretician and hagiographer, lasts.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attar_o...

Reviews

[Taufiq Yves · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviews in English and Malay:

English
Farid-al-Dīn Abu Hamid Muhammad ibn Ibrahim Attar, better known as Fariduddin Attar, was a prominent Persian poet, mystic, and Sufi thinker who lived in Nishapur, Iran, from approximately 1145 to 1221. He is celebrated as one of the most influential figures in the tradition of Sufi literature and Islamic philosophy.

The name Attar means pharmacist or perfumer, a nod to his early career in medicine and herbal remedies. According to biographical accounts, a chance encounter with a wandering Sufi transformed his worldview. Following this pivotal moment, Attar abandoned his practice and embarked on a spiritual journey, traveling to places like Mecca, Syria, India, and Turkistan.

Attar wrote over 45,000 verses of poetry and several works of prose. Among his most famous works are Mantiqu't-Tayr (The Conference of the Birds), a spiritual allegory about a flock of birds seeking their mythical king, the Simurgh; Ilahi-nama (The Book of Divinity), a dialogue between a caliph and his sons about the meaning of life and worldly desires; and Tadhkirat al-Awliya (Memorial of the Saints), a collection of biographies and wisdom from early Sufi saints and masters.

Attar had a profound influence on Rumi, who considered him a spiritual guide. Rumi once famously said, "Attar has explored the seven cities of love, and we are still in the first alley." Attar's works laid the foundation for Sufi thought, particularly the concepts of fana (annihilation of the ego) and baqa (subsistence in God). He is remembered as a "poet of the soul" who wrote not for entertainment but to awaken spiritual consciousness.

If Attar is the root of Sufi philosophy, then Rumi is the tree that grew from it. If Attar is the spiritual guide who opened the path, Rumi is the poet who nourished that path with love and ecstasy. They are both monumental figures in the Sufi tradition, distinguished primarily by their differing styles, tones, and mystical experiences.

Understanding The Conference of the Birds:

This book is composed of 3 main parts:

1. A prayer and praise - an opening filled with praise for God and the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), along with Attar's expression of humility.
2. The gathering of the birds - various birds assemble to discuss the need to find a true king, the Simurgh.
3. The journey and the conference - the birds embark on a challenging journey through 7 valleys.

The story begins when the birds realize they have no true leader. The wisest among them, the Hoopoe, steps forward as their guide and suggests they seek the Simurgh, a mythical bird symbolizing God. At first, the birds offer all sorts of excuses to avoid the journey - no need, fear, worldly attachments, arrogance, laziness, and so on. But the Hoopoe's eloquence convinces them, and they agree to begin their pilgrimage through the seven spiritual valleys in search of the Simurgh.

At the end of the journey, only 30 birds survive. When they finally stand before the Simurgh, they see their own reflection in a mirror - they realize the Simurgh is them.

What's crucial here are the 7 valleys, which are a symbolic representation of the stages of a spiritual seeker's (salik) journey toward knowing God. Each valley represents a different inner challenge and transformation. They are:

1. The Valley of the Quest (Talab): The seeker realizes life's emptiness and begins the search for true meaning. It demands the courage to leave the material world and start a spiritual journey. It symbolizes the soul’s thirst for truth.
2. The Valley of Love (Ishq): Divine love burns away logic and ego. The seeker begins to see God as the only goal, and love becomes the fuel for the journey. Here, love is not romantic but a self - annihilating love for God.
3. The Valley of Knowledge (Ma'rifah): The seeker gains wisdom and gnosis, not through intellect alone, but through intuition and inner enlightenment. This isn't academic knowledge; it’s knowledge that connects the heart with reality.
4. The Valley of Detachment (Istighna): The seeker releases all attachments to the world and to the self. There is no longer any desire for praise, wealth, or status. It is absolute freedom from all forms of attachment.
5. The Valley of Unity (Tawhid): The seeker begins to see everything as a manifestation of God. Dualism disappears - there is no longer "I" and "He," only the unity of existence. Spiritual vision becomes clear and unified.
6. The Valley of Bewilderment (Hayrah): At this stage, the seeker is captivated and bewildered by the majesty of God. The mind is unable to fully comprehend, and the seeker is submerged in a state of awe. This bewilderment is not a weakness but a sign of spiritual depth.
7. The Valley of Annihilation (Fana'): The ego and self - identity completely vanish. The seeker "dies" to the self and "lives" in God. This is the stage of fana - self - annihilation for the sake of absolute union with the Almighty.

Passing through all 7 of these valleys requires sacrifice, love, and the courage to let go of everything false for the sake of eternal truth.

In this book, the metaphors used go beyond mere wordplay; they are the heart of the narrative and the primary tool for subtly and deeply conveying Sufi teachings. If you fail to grasp what's hinted at beneath the surface, you'll miss out on the joy of reading this book.

My Takeaways from The Conference of the Birds:
Based on various sources, here are my thoughts on the rich metaphors in the book.

1. The Birds as humanity: Each bird represents a human trait or flaw. The peacock symbolizes arrogance and an obsession with external appearances. The Hoopoe acts as the spiritual guide, much like a Sufi master. Other birds—the partridge, parrot, nightingale, etc. - represent other human weaknesses like fear, worldly desires, and laziness. The birds are a mirror of humanity itself, and their dialogues reflect the inner conflicts people face when searching for meaning and God.
2. The Simurgh as God: The Simurgh is a mythical bird that symbolizes God. The birds' journey through the 7 valleys to find the Simurgh is a metaphor for the human spiritual journey toward God.
3. The Truth Within: God is not a distant, external entity but a reality that can only be found when the ego and the illusion of the self are annihilated. At the end of the story, the birds realize that "Simurgh is them" - "si" (30) + "murgh" (bird) in Persian. Their own reflection is cast in the Simurgh's mirror.
4. The mirror of awareness: The mirror symbolizes self - awareness. God is like sunlight, which can only be seen through the reflection in a clear soul. It emphasizes the concepts of fana (self - annihilation) and baqa (subsistence in God).
5. The 7 valleys: Each valley is a metaphor for a stage of inner transformation. This spiritual journey isn't linear or easy. It's full of challenges, doubts, and sacrifices. Each valley demands that the seeker release something that ties them to the world.

This book is absolutely amazing and mind-opening. Attar uses metaphors to convey truths that are difficult to explain directly. You have to dig for yourself, reflect without feeling threatened, and create space for a slow, deep inner transformation. And, of course, you'll need to refer to the wise people along the way.

After reading it, here are some things I've been thinking about:

1. Identity, meaning, and purpose in life.
2. True change starts from within, not from what is visible.
3. The exhaustion of pretending and deceiving yourself.
4. The difficulty of finding unity among diverse people.

Bahasa Melayu:
Nama sebenar Fariduddin Attar adalah Farid-al-Dīn Abu Hamid Muhammad ibn Ibrahim Attar. Beliau seorang penyair, ahli mistik, dan pemikir sufi terkemuka dari Nishapur, Iran (Parsi) yang hidup sekitar abad ke - 12 (1145 - 1221). Beliau dimasyhurkan sebagai salah seorang tokoh paling berpengaruh dalam tradisi kesusasteraan sufi dan falsafah Islam.

Nama Attar bermaksud ahli farmasi atau pembuat minyak wangi, menggambarkan beliau pernah terlibat dalam bidang perubatan atau herba. Menurut biografi yang dirisalahkan, beliau bertemu dengan seorang sufi yang mengubah pandangannya tentang kehidupan. Selepas itu, Attar meninggalkan expertise-nya dan berkelana di jalan spiritual ke tempat seperti Mekah, Syria, India, dan Turkistan.

Attar telah menulis lebih daripada 45,000 bait puisi dan beberapa karya prosa. Antara yang paling dikenali adalah buku ini, Mantip-ut-Tayr (Musyawarah Burung): alegori rohani tentang sekumpulan burung yang mencari Simurgh, Ilahi-nama (Kitab Ketuhanan): dialog antara khalifah dan anak - anaknya tentang makna hidup dan keinginan duniawi, dan Tadhkirat al-Awliya (Memorial of the Saints): biografi dan kata - kata hikmah para wali dan sufi awal.

Attar memberi pengaruh besar kepada Rumi yang menganggapnya sebagai guru spiritual. Rumi pernah berkata: ”Attar telah menjelajahi 7 kota cinta, dan kami masih berada di lorong pertama.” Karya - karya Attar menjadi asas pemikiran sufisme, khususnya dalam hal penghapusan ego (fana) dan penyatuan dengan Tuhan (baqa). Beliau dikenang sebagai penyair jiwa, yang menulis bukan untuk hiburan, tetapi untuk membangkitkan kesedaran rohani.

Jika Attar adalah akar kepada falsafah sufi, maka Rumi adalah pohon yang tumbuh daripadanya. Jika Attar adalah guru spiritual yang membuka jalan, manakala Rumi adalah penyair yang menyuburkan jalan itu dengan cinta dan ekstasi. Kedua - duanya adalah tokoh agung dalam tradisi sufi, cuma pendekatan mereka berbeza dari segi gaya, nada, dan pengalaman mistik.

Menyantuni Musyawarah Burung:

Buku ini terdiri daripada 3 bahagian utama:
1. Madah doa - pembukaan yang penuh pujian kepada Tuhan dan Nabi Muhammad SAW serta pengakuan kerendahan diri Attar.
2. Pelbagai jenis burung berkumpul dan membincangkan keperluan untuk mencari raja sejati, Simurgh.
3. Musyawarah dan perjalanan - Burung - burung memulakan perjalanan yang penuh cabaran melalui 7 lembah.

Kisah bermula apabila burung - burung ini menyedari bahawa dorang tak ada pemimpin sejati. Burung yang paling bijaksana di antara dorang - Hudhud (burung hupo) tampil sebagai pembimbing dan mencadangkan agar dorang mencari Simurgh, burung mitos yang melambangkan Tuhan. Mulanya masing - masing memberi bermacam jenis alasan untuk elak - tak ada keperluan, takut, cinta dunia, angkuh, malas dan sebagainya. Dek kerana kepetahan Hudhud, akhirnya dorang bersetuju dan memulakan perjalanan melalui 7 lembah spiritual mencari Simurgh. Di akhir perjalanan, hanya 30 burung yang berjaya sampai. Di hadapan Simurgh, dorang nampak bayangan diri dorang sendiri di dalam cermin - rupanya Simurgh adalah dorang sendiri.

Yang sangat penting dan harus diberi perhatian khusus di sini adalah 7 lembah tu, ia adalah simbolik kepada tahap - tahap perjalanan rohani seorang pencari kebenaran (salik) dalam usaha mengenal Tuhan. Setiap lembah mewakili cabaran dan transformasi batin yang berbeza. Untuk rujukan:

1. Lembah Pencarian (Talab)::
- Di sini, pencari mula menyedari kekosongan dalam hidup dan memulakan pencarian makna sejati.
- Ia menuntut keberanian untuk meninggalkan dunia material dan memulakan perjalanan spiritual.
- Simbol kehausan jiwa terhadap kebenaran.

2. Lembah Cinta (Ishq)::
- Cinta Ilahi membakar segala logik dan ego.
- Pencari mula melihat Tuhan sebagai satu - satunya tujuan, dan cinta menjadi bahan bakar perjalanan.
- Di sini, cinta bukan romantik, tetapi cinta yang menghapuskan diri demi Yang Dicintai.

3. Lembah Pengetahuan (Ma'rifah):
- Pencari memperoleh hikmah dan makrifat, tapi bukan melalui akal semata, tapi intuisi dan pencerahan batin.
- Pengetahuan di sini bukan yang beraifat akademik tu, tapi pengetahuan yang menghubungkan hati dengan hakikat.

4.Lembah Kebebasan (Istighna):
- Pencari melepaskan keterikatan kepada dunia dan diri sendiri.
- Tiada lagi keinginan terhadap pujian, harta, atau status.
- Kebebasan mutlak dari segala bentuk keterikatan.

5. Lembah Kesatuan (Tawhid):
- Pencari mula melihat segala sesuatu sebagai manifestasi Tuhan.
- Dualisme hilang - tiada lagi “aku” dan “Dia”, hanya kesatuan wujud.
- Pandangan rohani menjadi jernih dan menyatu.

6. Lembah Keheranan (Hayrah):
- Pasa tahap ini, pencari terpesona dan bingung dengan keagungan Tuhan.
- Akal tak mampu memahami sepenuhnya, dan pencari tenggelam dalam kekaguman.
- Kehairanan bukan kelemahan, tetapi tanda kedalaman spiritual.

7.Lembah Kematian Diri (Fana'):
- Ego dan identiti diri lenyap sepenuhnya.
- Pencari “mati” dari dirinya dan “hidup” dalam Tuhan.
- Ini adalah tahap fana - penghapusan diri demi penyatuan mutlak dengan Yang Maha Esa.

Melepasi ketujuh - tujuh lembah ini menuntut pengorbanan, cinta, dan keberanian untuk melepaskan segala yang palsu demi hakikat yang abadi.

Dalam buku ini, metafora yang digunakan dah melaimpaui prrmainan bahasa, ia adalah jantung naratif dan alat utama untuk menyampaikan ajaran sufistik secara halus dan mendalam. Kalau kau gagal memahami suratan yang disiratkan, kau gagal peroleh nikmat membaca buku ini.

Hasil rujukan dari pelbagai sumber:

Burung sebagai manusia. Setiap burung mewakili satu sifat atau kelemahan manusia. Merak melambangkan keangkuhan dan obsesi terhadap sifat luaran. Burung hupo (Hudhud) berperanan sebagai pembimbing rohani, seperti guru sufi. Ayam hutan, nuri, bulbul, dan yang lain pula mewakili kelemahan manusia yang lain seperti ketakutan, keinginan duniawi, kemalasan, dan sebagainya.

Burung - burung ini adalah cerminan manusia ini sendiri, maka dialog dorang adalah refleksi konflik batin manusia dalam mencari makna hidup dan Tuhan.

Simurgh adalah burung mitos yang menjadi simbol Tuhan. Perjalanan burung - burung menempuh 7 lembah untuk mencari Simurgh adalah metafora perjalanan spiritual manusia menuju Tuhan.

Tuhan di sini bukan entiti luar yang jauh, tetapi hakikat yang hanya dapat ditemui apabila ego dan ilusi diri dihapuskan. Di akhir cerita, burung - burung menyedari bahawa “Simurgh adalah mereka sendiri* - “si” (30) + “murgh” (burung) dalam bahasa Persia. Bayangan dorang sendiri terpantul dalam cermin Simurgh.

Cermin ni lambang kesedaran diri. Tuhan adalah seperti cahaya matahari yang hanya dapat dilihat melalui pantulan dalam jiwa yang jernih. Ia menekankan konsep fana (penghapusan diri) dan baqa (kekekalan dalam Tuhan).

Setiap lembah yang dirempuh dalam 7 lembah spiritual adalah metafora untuk tahap - tahap transformasi batin masing - masing. Dan perjalanan rohani ini tak linear dan tak mudah. Ia penuh dengan cabaran, keraguan, dan pengorbanan. Setiap lembah menuntut pencari untuk melepaskan sesuatu yang mengikat mereka kepada dunia.

Sangat - sangat menakjubkan dan membuka minda.

Attar menggunakan metafora untuk menyampaikan kebenaran yang sukar dijelaskan secara langsung. Kau kena gali sendiri, kau kene renung tanpa rasa diancam, dan membuka ruang untuk transformasi batin secara perlahan dan mendalam. Dan sudah pastinya kau perlu banyak merujuk kepada yang bijak pandai.

Ada beberapa perkara yang aku fikirkan usai bacaan.

1. Tentang identiti, tentang makna dan tujuan hidup.
2. Berubah sebenar bermula dari dalam, bukan pada perkara yang tampak.
3. Penatnya berpura - pura dan menipu diri sendiri.
4. Susah menemui kesatuan dalam kepelbagaian manusia.

“Tujuh puluh tiga pintu
Tujuh puluh tiga jalan
Yang sampai hanya satu jalan”

“Ribu - ribu Margasatua
Mencari raja si Muraq
Yang sampai hanya tiga puluh”

Sang Algojo
nanti dulu

“Lihat dunia dari mata burung
Atau lihat dari dalam tempurung
Yang mana satu engkau pilih”

“Dalam kalut ada peraturan
Peraturan mencipta kekalutan
Di mana pula kau berdiri
Di sini”

Sang Algojo
nanti dulu

“Berikan ku kesempatan akhir ini
Untuk menyatakan kalimah sebenarnya
Berikan aku kesempatan akhir ini
Tanya sama itu hud-hud
Lang mensilang
Kui mengsikui
Kerana dia yang terbangkan aku ke mari”

Sang Algojo
nanti dulu

Segalanya menjadi begitu nyata, jelas dan terang.

[s.penkevich [hiatus-will return-miss you all] · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘You must first suffer pain / to join the ranks of the brave and true.’

Struggling through life trying to find yourself amidst a battle with your own ego snapping up vices like a crow with shiny objects is always much more interesting when wrapped in the packaging of a surreal allegory. One of these is going to get way more traction: I’ve been drinking too much caffeine (fraught with a mysterious poison) and having a panic attack (caught in a battle of wills against an evil sorcerer trying to choke the life out of you with magic) while responding to a polite and 3 weeks overdue work email (plunging your sword in the the heart of a snarling dragon). Writers have picked up on this neat trick centuries ago and Sufi poet Faridoddin Abu Hamed Mohammad Attar Nishapuri—for the sake of brevity he was down with the name Attar of Nishapur—delivered the epic poem The Conference of Birds as a sweeping epic on the soul’s search for meaning. Described by Rumi as ‘the Master’ of Sufi poetry, Attar of Nishapur was true to his name of “Attar” meaning “apothecary” and delivers some medicine for the heart and soul through the sublimnity of his verses. Feeling directionless and leaderless in a world caught in the cross-hairs of suffering and tyranny, a conference of all the world’s birds decides to set out and find Simurgh, the mystical King of legend, to lead them. Led by the Hoopoe bird who serves as a wise, Sufi master, it is a story made up of hundreds of small stories addressing vice and virtue and the arduous quest for understanding and unity. A masterpiece of Sufi literature translated from the Persian to English in my edition by Sholeh Wolpé, The Conference of Birds is an epic adventure pulled along by gorgeous prose and contemplative themes and messages.

'All that you have uttered
All that you have heard.
All that you knew,
And all that you have seen,
All of it from the very start
Is just the beginning of the fairy tale.

Disappear. This ruin is not your abode.
What matters is essence of truth,
Independent and pure.
What does it matter if truth branches or not?
When the True Sun shines eternal,
Does it matter if here is an atom
Or here, its shadow?'

I came to this poem having read Czech-born artist and author Peter Sís’s magnificent retelling bursting with his signature artwork and had to take a peek at the original. It is a long poem and takes many side-quests in spiritual pursuit of purity for the soul, but it never feels bogged down and the humor really keeps you moving with a lightness of heart through this epic work. Each bird becomes a sort of stand-in for humanity's seemingly endless vices and foibles and the Hoopoe addresses each in turn with a message for them as to their wrong-doings and spiritual counseling to attain greater unity with the self, community, and the divine.

'You who are drunk on love of treasures,
Suppose you come across one.
You will guard it until you are dead,
And while your life slips away, you gain nothing.

Love of treasure is for the foolish.
Worshipping gold is for pagans.
Make idols of gold and you are
No different from Abraham’s father.
Or are you from the tribe who made the Golden Calf?

If your heart is flawed by love of gold,
You will enter eternity with a face ugly with greed.'

This ugly face, we learn, is the face of the rat. The poem progresses through many parables, including a parable about Jesus himself telling parables, and the stories of the Old Testament such as those of Moses, Abraham, and Joseph are frequently cited in the Hoopoe’s speeches. There is a bit of an affinity between him and many prophets or wise figures of many religions and, like Jesus, he advises that ‘not until you forsake all you possess / can you start this journey.’ The quest for the divine is one that transcends earthly values and the physical realm and it is only through non-existence that eternal existence can be discovered for those who are able. The ending in particular, with the name Simurgh being revealed to be si--meaning ‘thirty’--and morgh--meaning birds--is an excellent note on the idea of holding divinity inside one’s self and community if spiritual purity is obtained.

Art by Habiballah of Sava from a folio of the poem dated 1600

Attar’s The Conference of Birds is a bit of a challenging yet very rewarding read. An epic poem of an epic adventures across epic valleys each full of pitfalls, tests of faith, and more, this is an excellent allegorical tale on spirituality that has understandably lasted through the ages with its rather broad and universal messages on purity and the pursuit of the self. An excellent read that is as uplifting as it is empowering.

4.5/5

‘Leaving yourself is annihilation.
When awareness of this annihilation
Is annihilated, you’ll find eternal life.’

[ReemK10 (Paper Pills) · Rating 5 out of 5]



I have been wanting to read The Conference of the Birds for a very long time. The peacock in me ordered the Raficq Abdulla interpretation, lured as I was by the illustrations of Persian miniatures from The British Library (this is the only, modern illustrated edition), and they do not disappoint.



This is only a 93-page book. It serves as a delightful amuse-bouche but leaves one with a hungry appetite for more. This can be found in Peter Avery's The Speech of the Birds which the owl in me will be reading next as it is the more scholarly translation and will hopefully have more clues.



What I love, truly, deeply, passionately, emphatically love about Farid ad-Din Attar's masterpiece is coming across allegories that bring about enlightenment. Ah sublime bliss! But as always when you deal with metaphor and rhetorical riddles, you need to come prepared with a heavily-built superstructure of previously acquired knowledge beforehand to be able to correctly make your own connections and understandings of this poem. You need to have lived! The more you know, the more you will understand, and hence the constant urge to keep reading and learning!



I think that the birds led by the hoopoe are prefect parables of us as readers who are often unbearably self-aware.



The ishq of Sufism seduces us into squeezing meaning out of every word in this very intimate mystic poem. Attar absolutely delights as he takes us on this journey of life: love, understanding, detachment, unity, bewilderment, deprivation and death and our own psychological and spiritual journey as we deal with our personal flaws and disappointments.



Abdalla makes this ancient masterpiece of a poem very accessible to the modern reader.



"Nothing I know,
I understand nothing, I am surface-dead
Only loves survives, I am traveling unsurely, I go
To the Beloved unknown to this heart waiting to be read."

[Hend · Rating 5 out of 5]

These poems about, the birds of the world gather to decide who is to be their king, as they have none. The hoopoe, the wisest of them all, suggests that they should find the legendary Simorgh, a mythical persian bird roughly equivalent to the western phoenix. It is an allegory of the quest for God (The Simorgh). The hoopoe respresents a sufi master and each of the other birds represents a human fault which prevents man from attaining enlightenment. When the group of thirty birds finally reach the dwelling place of the Simorgh, all they find is a lake in which they see their own reflection.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

تو منطق الطیر سفر پرندگان به سوی سیمرغ تمثیلی از سیر و سلوک آدمی به سمت خداست در نتیجه میتونیم بگیم که هفت وادی‌ای که پرنده‌ها برا رسیدن به سیمرغ باید ازشون رد می‌شدند هم مراحل مختلف سلوک عرفانی رو نشون میده.
عطار بعد از معرفی هر وادی چندین حکایت مختلف رو هم میاد بیان می‌کنه.

1. وادی طلب: مرحله اوله که سالک با اشتیاق به دنبال حقیقت میوفته، اون داستان ابلیس عاشق خداست و تنها فرشته ایه که راز الهی رو می‌بینه مال این‌جاست.

بعد از آن ابلیس گفت آن گنج پاک
چون مرا روشن شد، از لعنت چه باک
لعنت آن تست رحمت آن تو
بنده آن تست قسمت آن تو
گر مرا لعنست قسمت، باک نیست
زهر هم باید، همه تریاک نیست
چون بدیدم خلق را رحمت طلب
لعنت برداشتم من بی‌ادب

2. وادی عشق: که سالک اینجا در آتش عشق الهی می‌سوزه. اون داستانی که عاشق می‌ره معشوق بیمار شده‌اش رو بکُشه تا در قصاص اون بمیره هم برا اینجا بود.

عاشق آن باشد که چون آتش بود
گرم رو سوزنده و سرکش بود
عاقبت اندیش نبود یک زمان
در کشد خوش خوش بر آتش صد جهان
لحظه‌ای نه کافری داند نه دین
ذره‌ای نه شک شناسد نه یقین
نیک و بد در راه او یکسان بود
خود چو عشق آمد نه این نه آن بود
ای مباحی این سخن آن تونیست
مرتدی تو، این به دندان تو نیست

3. وادی معرفت: اینجا به شناخت عمیق و درک حقایق الهی میرسه.
گر بیاری دست تا عرش مجید
دم مزن یک ساعت از هل من یزید
خویش را در بحر عرفان غرق کن
ورنه باری خاک ره بر فرق کن
گرنه‌ای ای خفته اهل تهنیت
پس چرا خود را نداری تعزیت
گر نداری شادیی از وصل یار
خیز باری ماتم هجران بدار
گر نمی بینی جمال یار تو
خیز منشین، می‌طلب اسرار تو
گر نمی‌دانی طلب کن شرم دار
چون خری تا چند باشی بی‌فسار

داستان عباسه طوسی رو هم اینجا بیان کرده بود.

4. وادی استغنا: مرحله بی‌نیازی از هر چیز جز خداست و اینجا معرفی جالبی داشت:
بعد ازین وادی استغنا بود
نه درو دعوی و نه معنی بود
می‌جهد از بی‌نیازی صرصری
می‌زند بر هم به یک دم کشوری

صد هزاران سبز پوش از غم بسوخت
تا که آدم را چراغی برفروخت
صد هزاران جسم خالی شد ز روح
تا درین حضرت دروگر گشت نوح
صد هزاران پشه در لشگر فتاد
تا براهیم از میان با سرفتاد
صد هزاران طفل سر ببریده گشت
تا کلیم الله صاحب دیده گشت
صد هزاران خلق در زنار شد
تا که عیسی محرم اسرار شد
صد هزاران جان و دل تاراج یافت
تا محمد یک شبی معراج یافت

5. وادی توحید: اینجا مرحله یگانگی و دیدن وحدت در کثرته.
چون همه هیچی بود هیچ این همه
کی بود دو اصل جز پیچ این همه

6. وادی حیرت: که شخص دچار شگفتی و سرگشتگی در برابر عظمت الهی میشه. اصلا توضیحات این بخش و حکایاتش خیلی عجیب بودند. اون داستانه غلامی که بیهوش میکنن میبرند قصر پیش دختر پادشاه و برمیگرده عقلشو از دست میده هم برا اینجا بود.

گر بدو گویند مستی یا نه‌ای
نیستی گویی که هستی یا نه‌ای
در میانی یا برونی از میان
بر کناری یا نهانی یا عیان
فانیی یا باقیی یا هر دوی
یا نهٔ هر دو توی یا نه توی
گوید اصلا می‌ندانم چیز من
وان ندانم هم ندانم نیز من
عاشقم اما ندانم بر کیم
نه مسلمانم نه کافر، پس چیم
لیکن از عشقم ندارم آگهی
هم دلی پرعشق دارم هم تهی

7. وادی فنا و فقر: نابودی خود و رسیدن به خدا. اون داستان عاشق شدن شاه بر پسر وزیر و بعدا در غیرت اون پوست کندن و‌ دار زدنش هم اینجا بود.

نبود او و او بود، چون باشد این
از خیال عقل بیرون باشد این


یه قسمتی قبل از رفتن مرغ ها به سمت وادی ها داره که اولش هر پرنده یه چیز میگه بعد ز این که تصمیم میگیرن برن هر کدوم یه بهونه میارن و هدهد شروع می‌کنه با تعریف عشق و این چیزا قانعشون کنه.

عشق را با کفر و با ایمان چه کار
عاشقان را لحظه‌ای با جان چه کار
عاشق آتش بر همه خرمن زند
اره بر فرقش نهند او تن زند
درد و خون دل بباید عشق را
قصهٔ مشکل بباید عشق را

بعد داستان معروف شیخ صنعان رو داشت و این داستان‌ها دیگه.

بعد از ورژن‌های مخصوص نوجوانانش، خود متن اصلی رو اولین بار حدود ده سال پیش شروع کردم به خوندنش اما تا همین حدود تصمیم پرنده ها برای رفتن، دقیق‌تر بخوام بگم اونجایی که عطار بعد از بهونه گرفتن پرندگان شروع می‌کنه به ذکر حکایت‌های قطاری تا بخواد بگه مرد راه عشق باید باشید، میخوندم و میذاشتن کنار.
این سری دوباره قشنگ از اول شروع کردم هم متن رو خوندم هم توضیحات رو و هم صوتی خانم محبوب رو گوش دادم(که انصافا چقدر خوب خوانده‌اند. البته با سرعت ۱.۵ برابر.) و هم مقداری مقاله در ارتباط باهاش خوندم.
قسمت‌هاییش که برا خودم جذاب بود رو باز جدا کردم و گذاشتم کانالم.

فروردین ۱۴۰۴

[Momen Bari · Rating 5 out of 5]

ايه العظمه دي
كتاب منطق الطير كتاب متعمق في الجانب الروحاني بدرجه ممتاز
بدايه فان مترجم الكتاب ومحققه الدكنور بديع محمد جمعه كتب مقدمه دسمه بديعه افاض فيها بالكثير عن حياه المؤلف فريد الدين العطار وحياته ومذهبه بالاضافه الي تعليقه علي المنظومه وغيرها من صنوف الشعر المثنوي الفارسي والتصوف وغيره كما اضاف في تحقيقه عن كل الشخصيات المذكوره في الكتاب وغير ذلك من متشابهات او رموز قد تقف عثره امام القارئ
ولم يترك لغيره الكثير عن الكلام عن المنظمه فنعم المترجم والمحقق

اولا حياه المؤلف فريد الدين العطار النيسابوري :لم يصل المترجم البديع عن انباء محققه عن هن حياته وميلاده ووفاته ولكن الراجح انه ولد عام 545 هجريه وان وفاته كانت في 627
قيل ان العطار انه اشتغل بالطب والعطاره وكان غنيا مشهورا في مجاله قبل ان يترك ذلك كله ليتفرغ الي التصوف وعشقه وطريقه الي الله
وههنا يذكر عبد الرحمن جامي في كتابه نفحات الانس قصه تحول العطار من الطب والعطاره الي التصوف فيقول ( ذات يوم كان العطار في دكان عطارته فجاءه فقير وقال له عده مرات : اعطني شيئا لله فلم يابه بالفقير فقال الفقير : ايها السيد كيف تموت ؟ فقال العطار :كما ستموت انت. فقال الفقير : ايمكنك ان تموت مثلي ؟ فقال العطار : نعم . فوضع الفقير قدحه تحت راسه وقال الله واسلم الروح فتغير حال العطار وتخلص من متجره توا وجاء الي هذا الطريق ) وهنا نري كيفيه تحول العطار وان كنت اري ان القصه ههنا تعتبر اسطوره خاصه انها كتبت بعد وفاته لاضافه الكثير من النفحات والكرامات للعطار في عصر بدات الصوفيه تتحول الي دروشه
وكذلك قصه وفاته عند هجوم التتار وما تحمله من دروشه واحيل القارئ اليها في مقدمه الكتاب وملخصها انه بعد ان ضربت عنقه الف (كتاب المقطوع الراس)

وقد كان العطار معتز بنفسه ايما اعتزاز فيقول انه لم يلجأ يوما الي قصر ولم يكن ذليلا لكل حقير ولم يطعم من خبز ظالم مطلقا ولم يختم كتابه له بذكر احدهم
وقد قال العطار عن نفسه وكتبه
_ونظمي يتسم بخاصيه عجيبه فهو يولد معني جديدا في كل اونه
_ زحتي يوم القيامه لن يكتب شخص قط كلاما مثلي انا الولهان ( ثقه تصل لحد الغرور)



ثانيا المنظومه
لم تكن الفكره بجديده عندما صاغها العطار فقد سبقه الشيخ الرئيس _حبيبي_ابن سينا في رساله الطير وان كانت رساله بن سينا فلسفيه مرهقهه ومنظومه العطار صوفيه مشرقه
وكذلك تاثره بالغزالي في قصته عن الطير وان لم يكن تاثره هنا بالفكره ففط ولكن تاثر بالعديد من افكار الغزالي
اما رساله الغفران فقد حاول الكثيرين اثبات تاثر العطار بها لكن الحقيقه (معرفش) تاثر بها ولا لا

ويجب التنويه الي تنه ولو كان العطار قد اخذ فكرته من من سبقه الا انه ابدع واضاف وجدد

تبدا المنظومه بالمقدمه التي يحاول فيها العطار اعطاء كل خليفه حقه من ابو بكر الي عمر وعثمان وعلي ونبذ التعصب فيقول : يا من وقعت اسير التعصب وظللت ابدا اسير البغض والحب اذا كنت تفاخر بالعقل واللب فكيف تنطق بععد ذلك بالتعصب
وهنا يتجرد العطار عن المنازعات والتعصب وغيره من اساليب البغض والفرقه وهذا هدف التصوف الذذي نراه قد تجلي لدي العطار الذي كان غرضه في النهايه التلقي والوصول الي حد الفناء في اللهومن ثم البقاء بعد الفناء ( وهذا كما اري غرض كتاب العطار )

وتبدا المنظومه بجمع للطيور يتوجهون فيه الي اله واحد للعباده ( وهنا انطق العطار الطيور عكس رساله الغزالي ) لانهم لا يستطيعوا العيش دون ملك وهنا يظهر دون الولايه والمريدين فنري هنا الطيور مريدين ولا بد بهم من طريق

ثم يقع الاختيار علي الهدهد ليكون المرشد لهم الي الطريق ( وهنا نري دور الهدهد التاريخي في التراث الاسلامي وذلك بسبب ذكره في القران الكريم ولكونه كان السبب في هدايه اهل سبا وكذلك لما يمتلكه الهدهد من خواص فيقول الجاحظ عن الهدهد : زعموا انه هو الذي كان يدل سليمان علي مواضع الماء في قعر الارض ) فكان نعم الاختيار من العطار

وهنا يطلب الهدهد من الطيور التوجه الي سيمرج الاله المنشود ( وسيمرج هنا تعبير عن التراث الاسطوري الفارسي الذي يصور سيمرج طائر خرافي عشه علس شجره طيبه واعتقد انه يماثل العنقاء في التراث العربي وهنا يوضح العطار الصله بين السيمرج والطير عندما قام احد الطيور بالسؤال عن الصله بينهم وبين السيمرج فاوضح العطار ان لله وجود في خلقه وضرب مثال بالظل والشمس او البحر والقطره ..فما العالم الي قطره

ثم يبدا سرد الاعذار لجميع الطيور الذين يريدون التخلي عن الطريق الي الله وهنا نري الاعذار هي مشكلات الحياه من شهوات وشرك وكذب وكسل وغرور

ثم رد الهدهد عليهم وفند اعذارهم واقنعهم بالمسير معه نحو السيمرج

ثم الاتفاق علي التوجه نحو السيمرج وعقبات الطريق فالطريق هنا مجاهده ملئ بالاخطار

ثم عرض العطار للاوديه السبعه للوصول وهي بالترتيب وادي الطلب _ العشق _ المعرفه
الاستغناء _ التوحيد _ الحيره _الفناء
فوادي الطلب ملئ بالمشاق والالم والجهد والتطهر . ووادي العشق ملئ بالاحتراق واللهفه وترك العقل . ووادي المعرفه يتطلب الزياده من المعرفه والاسرار . ووادي الاستغناء يتطلب التخلي عن الدنيا وما فيها . ووادي التوحيد يختفي الكل في واحد . ووادي الحيره ( دا حكايه لوحده ) يظل المريد في حيره والم وحسره متواصله فلا يعرف ان كان موجودا ام لا اهو مع الخلق ام خارجهم اهو حق ام باطل فهو وادي وعر وكانه طربق منحدر بين جبلين . ووادي الفناء هو اخر المطاف وهو غرض المريد وهو الفناء في الله والفناء عن الفناء هو البقاء بعد الفناء ولكن حذار حذار من النسيان ومن الخطايا والذنوب
فالطريق الي الله متعدد بعدد انفس الخلائق

ثم نري ان ثلاثين طائر فقط هما من استطاعوا الوصول الي ا لسيمرج والمثول امام حضرته والفناء معه

ونري الكثير من الحكايات بين الفصول للتاكيد علي فكره العطار وهي حكايات عظيمه الاثر واهمها والتي اخذت جانب كبير من المؤلف وكذلك في مقدمه المترجم وهي حكايه الشيخ صنعان التي تحكي عن وعوره العشق وصعوباته
ولكني اري ان الحكايات التي تلت وادي الحيره هي اكثر جمالا وضياعا ودهشه

وكذلك نري كره العطار للفلسفه فيقول وكاف الكفر هنا لافضل كثيرا من فاء الفلسفه . ونري كره العطار للفلسفه هو ما تؤدي اليه من طرق مسدوده وطرق جامده عكس التصوف والجانب الروحاني الذي يحتوي علي النفحات والتجليات والاحوال فالتصوف يجعل الانسان محلق فوق الخلافات وفوق التعصب والطرق الضيقه

وكذلك نري في مقدمه الكتب للمترجم ان العطار كان ضد وحده الوجود وان كان مع وحده الشهود ولكن نري في المنظومه كيفيه الاتحاد مع السيمرج وان الطيور ادركت انها هي السيمرج مما يودي بالاعتقاد بوحده الوجود التي يرفضها العطار وهنا يجب التفرقه بين العطار الشاعر وبين افكاره العقائديه فهو شاعر ( واخدته الجلاله ) فتغلب عليه شعره ووجده. وهنا احيل القارئ الي كتاب لاحمد بهجت وهو بحار الحب عند الصوفيه ويري اننا يجب ان ننظر لاشعار المتصوفه باعتباره فنا لا دين فاشعار الحلاج ومحي الدين العربي والعطار وغيرهم كانت فنا تعبير عن حاله الوجد والعشق والشاعر دائما ما يكون مشتت الفكر لا يعرف لنفسه حدود

فخلاصه الكتاب ( البهرايز ) هي صراع الانسان من اجل الوصول الي الله بالاتحاد معه في وحده شهوديه



_
_ يا خالقي لقد وقعت في الحيره والاضطراب اما انت فظللت في سترك خلف النقاب فلترفع النقاب ولا تحرق روحي ولا تعذبني اكثر مما انا فيه فقد غرقت فجاه في امواج بحرك فلتنقذني من كل هذا الاضطرابوتلك الحيره فكم بقيت وسط لجه بحر الفلك ولكنني ظللت خارج تلك الحجب فمن هذا البحر المتلاطم انقذني لقد القيتني فيه .فمنه خلصني. لقد سيطرت نفسي علي كلي فان لم تاخذ بيدي فالويل لي كما لوث العبث روحي ولم تعد لي طاقه لتحمل عبث فاما ان تخلصني من هذا الفساد والا فلتنه حياتي ولتوارني التراب الخلق يخشونك وانا اخشي نفسي فما رايت منك الا كل خير وما رايت من نفسي الا كل شر

[Biblio Curious · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing, mystical, philosophical, & anti-philosophical all wrapped into beautifully translated couplets.

Dick Davis stayed as true to the original format as possible. This edition includes the previously untranslated Prologue & Epilogue. The "Note on Translation" says the original Persian poem has rhyming couplets with a similar meter as the English "Heroic Couplet" of twenty syllables. The flow of Davis' translation lets the story sing, his rhyme scheme is never clunky and actually enhances the pairing of the couplets.

From the Prologue:

"Your soul will be the talisman then bidden
To be the body bearing what is hidden."
(Lines 139-158)

The story itself is essentially an allegory of birds being compared to human nature. They go on a quest to find the Simorgh; a mystical King to become their leader. It's actually a potpourri of many little parables, problems told in story snippets that are replied with scenes of wisdom. Overall, it's told from both a very macro & micro point of view.

There are many references to the earliest books of the Koran/Torah/Bible. I'd recommend this great book to folks of all 3 faiths because there is some solid common ground for everyone. I'd also recommend it for people who enjoy philosophy about universal concepts or folks who enjoy a good story about bygone days.

It's my first real experience with Persian poetry & certainly will not be my last.

Here's a little quote video I made for this amazing book (spoiler free & the best parts are left out of course)
https://youtu.be/wwQbMXrg6AI

My finished review on my blog:
Conference of the Birds: Allegory for Humanity
http://www.biblioatlas.com/2019/04/co...

[Osama Siddique · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘Mantiq-al-Tayr’ or The Conference of the Birds - The foundational epic twelfth century Sufi poem - has immense doctrinal as well as literary value. The best way to read it is aloud, alone, at night, savoring every syllable and syntax, and absorbing every inflection and nuance. For this is after all a work of passion and an output of devotion. Not only has this outstanding work of spiritual introspection and sublime allegorical poetry influenced mystical thought in the centuries that followed but indeed it has left a lasting imprint as an allegory, due to its underlying quest and message and in terms of its symbolism on multiple cultures and literatures. This translation works quite well and while using this I intend to read the Persian original which because of what Urdu owes to it, become resonant and intelligible to fluent Urdu speakers and readers.

I must confess that I have always had trouble reading longer verse but The Conference of the Birds flows lyrically and is a wonderful exception. The initial part where the hoopoe is persuading the various birds to join in the pursuit for the mythical Simorgh in order to achieve true happiness is particularly delightful. The birds depict various facets and archetypes of human character and personality; this makes their doubts and reservations and their various ruses to evade the perilous journey appear so familiar and relatable. However, the hoopoe adroitly takes apart these excuses and explains that the ultimate truth and pursuit of the same is what really matters; that everything else is transient and ephemeral. The examples from Islamic beliefs, history and lore are frequent:

'Khezr sought companionship with one whose mind
Was set on God alone. The man declined
And said to Khezr: "We two could not be friends,
For our existences have different ends.
The waters of immortal life are yours,
And you must always live; life is your cause
And death is mine - you wish to live, whilst I
Impatiently prepare myself to die;
I leave you as quick birds avoid a snare,
To soar up in the free, untrammeled air."

Allegorically explaining and elaborating upon sufism, its pursuit, its trials and tribulations, its various stages and their toll, and of course its ultimate rapture, the great mystical poem abounds in parables, tales, sayings, and episodes from the lives of famous Islamic mystics and sufis. It is, therefore, also a veritable Who is Who of illustrious spiritual figures who have followed the same path and Attar's additional works on their lives and quests reflect here as well. I read this pencil in hand as time and again the profundity and beauty of the lines captured me. A major preoccupation of course is the spiritual quest itself which is akin to all-consuming love, and arduous, often painful and rather esoteric in nature:

“You could not know
The hidden ways by which we lovers go;”

And also:

"Love thrives on inextinguishable pain,
Which tears the soul, then knits the threads again."

Attar is often passionate so that he breaks free of the confines of doctrine, dogma and ritual and exhorts for one to follow the message from the heart. It is unsurprising that there were objections to and consequences of some of his more irreverent lines:

"Begin the journey without fear; be calm;
Forget what is and what is not Islam"

Another theme that emerges frequently is that of the importance of divine grace without which it is not possible to find the right course:

"The man on whom that quickening glance alights
Is raised to heaven's unsuspected heights;
Indeed this glance discovers you;
Your life's a mystery without a clue"

And then there is the all-important need for a spiritual guide:

"You need a skillful guide; you cannot start
This ocean voyage with blindness in your heart."

There are those whose pride will always be an impediment in their way and others who while seemingly mired in sin will be fortunate to be rescued; hence finding the right path and success appears not just an outcome of endeavor but also mercy.

"A sinner died, and, as his coffin passed,
A man who practiced every prayer and fast
Turned ostentatiously aside - how could
He pray for one of whom he knew no good?
He saw the sinner in his dreams that night,
His face transfigured with celestial light.
'How did you enter heaven's gate," he said,
"A sinner stained with faith from foot to head?"
"God saw your merciless, disdainful pride,
And spited my poor soul," the man replied.

Self-love brings one to a dead-end and overcoming the self is what allows one to transcend all obstacles:

"My study is to reach Truth's inmost shrine -
And I am not my Self's ass, he is mine;
Now since the beast I ride on rides on you.
That I am your better is quite plainly true.
You love the Self- it's lit in you a fire
Of nagging lust, insatiable desire,"

Equally corrosive and harmful is greed and love for worldly goods. The famous female saint Rabia of Basra is quoted to say:

"...I fear the harm
That follows from the clink of coin on coin,
The sleepless nights when sums of money join."

Like all great sufic literature Attar sublime poem also drives home the ephemeral nature of human existence and its insignificance given the grand scheme of things:

"As you are reared to live, so from your birth
You're also reared to one day leave this earth.
Which sunset fills with blood from pole to pole -
The sun seems then an executioner,
Beheading thousands with his scimitar.
If you are profligate, if you are pure,
You are but water mixed with dirt, no more -
A drop of trembling instability,
And can a drop resist the surging sea?
Though in the world you are a king, you must
In sorrow and despair return to dust."

More on the same theme - no matter how mighty, they all come to nothingness:

"King Solomon, whose seal subdued all lands,
I dust compounded with the desert sands,
And tyrants whose decrees spelled bloody dooms
Decay to nothing the narrow tomb:"

The hoopoe's persistent exhortation to all the birds is to not be bound by cold reason but to seek out the truth through love:

"Give up the intellect for love and see
In one brief moment all eternity"

The lovingly referred to Simorgh who lives far away is steeped in mystique:

"We have a King; beyond Kaf's mountain peak
The Simorgh lives, the sovereign whom you seek
And He is always near to us, though we
Live far from his transcendent majesty
A hundred thousand veils of dark and light
Withdrew his presence from our mortal sight
And in both worlds no being shares the throne
That marks the Simorgh's power and His alone -
He reigns in undisturbed omnipotence
Bathed in the light of His magnificence
No mind, no intellect can penetrate
The mystery of His unending state:"

The invitation is to explore an insight and a state of knowledge and existence that far exceeds the life and experience that the birds are reconciled to:

"The Truth we seek is like a shoreless sea,
Of which your paradise is but a drop.
This ocean can be yours; why should you stop
Beguiled by dreams of evanescent dew?
The secret of the sun are yours, but you
Content yourselves with motes trapped in its beams"

The poem abounds in beautiful lines employing wonderful metaphors that draw a contrast between worldly existence and a much more elevated consciousness:

"The unseen world and that which we can see
Are like a water-drop which instantly
Is and is not. A water-drop was formed
When time began, and on its surface swarmed
The world's appearances. If they were made
Of all-resting iron they would fade;
Hard iron is mere water, after all -
Dispersing like a dream, impalpable."

In an honest quest, in self-abnegation, in passionate contemplation, and in modesty lies the escape and the remedy:

"How many years I wandered far and wide
Until I found the fortress that you seek -
It is the knee, bend it, accept, be meek;
I found no other way - this remedy,
And only this, will cure your misery."

But once more, the right guidance is essential:

"Whoever will be guided finds relief
From Fate's adversity, from inward grief;
One hour of guidance benefits you more
Than all your mortal life, however pure."

And indeed honest and steadfast intent:

"The heart that does not strive can never gain
The endless kingdom's gates and lives in vain;"

And once the heart is maddened by ecstasy the one in love finds himself moving beyond the world of ordinary perceptions:

"As Egypt's noble maids swooned to see
Dear Joseph's radiant face, so ecstasy
Is mirrored in the sufi's maddened heart -
Then he has lost himself and moves apart
From all that we perceive - the world grows dim
As all the world resolves to follow him."

Attar cautions that those in love or in spiritual ecstasy endure much in their journey and hence ought to be left alone, unmolested and unjudged. The drawing of parallels between true love for a person and love of God (Ishq-e-Majazi and Ishq-e-Haqeeqi) is common in eastern spiritual poetry in Persian, Urdu and other regional languages and contributes greatly to choice of common metaphors.

"Don't meddle with their conduct, don't reprove
Those given up to madness and to love.
You would excuse them - nothing is more sure -
If you could share the darkness they endure."

It is the 'I' that has to be suppressed if one is to transcend to a higher plane of consciousness and spirituality and draw closer to the divine:

" If you put all your trust in "I" and "Me"
You've chosen both worlds as your enemy -
But if you kill the Self, the darkest night
Will be illuminated with your light.
If you would flee from evil and its pain
Swear never to repeat this "I" again!"

Those who find fault with others are neglectful of their own state, which is what really ought to be what they should be focusing on. Also, one so sanctimonious and critical is incapable of loving. And if you cannot love fellow-humans how can you have the capacity to love the divine:

"He saw the other's state but not his own,
And in his blindness he is not alone;
You cannot love, and this is why you seek
To find men vicious, or depraved, or weak -
If you could search for love and persevere
The sins of other men would disappear."

Attar's poem also offers philosophical questions about the very meaning of existence as well as the impermanence of everything:

"Where are the earth, the mountains and the sea?
Where are the angels and humanity?
Where are the bodies buried underground?
Where are their minds so subtle and profound?
Where is the pain of death? Where is the soul?
Where are the sundered parts? Where is the whole?
Sift through the universe, and it will seem
An airy maze, an insubstantial dream."

The moth and the flame are ancient metaphors for the lover and the beloved as well as for the all-consuming and annihilating nature of love; for the quest on part of the true lover to become one with the beloved even if it means that he loses his own identity and existence. Attar carries on the tradition in his own glorious way:

"Another moth flew out - his dizzy flight
Turned to an ardent wooing of the light;
He dipped and soared, and in his frenzied trance
Both Self and fire were mingled by his dance -
The flame engulfed his wing-tips, body, head;
His being glowed a fierce translucent red;
And when the mentor saw that sudden blaze,
The moth's form lost within the glowing rays,
He said: "He knows, he knows the truth we seek,
The hidden truth of which we cannot speak."

Quite apart from the quality of the verse the various parables, sayings, moral stories and shorter allegories are painstakingly weaved together and display great harmony. Amongst others we find mention of great sufis, mystics, philosophers, scholars and ascetics such as Bayazid Bastami, Mansoor Al-Hallaj, Ibrahim Ibn Adham, Ayaz Ibn Aymaq, Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Junaid Baghdadi, Abul Qasim Nasrabadi, Abu al-Husain al-Nouri, Rabia Al-Basri, Abu Ali Roudbar, Abu Bakr Al-Shibli, Abu Abdullah Tirmazi, Abu Ali Tousi, Abu-Bakr Al-Wasiti, Yousef of Hamadan, Abul Faiz Zulnoon, and others, thus showing how The Conference of the Birds is an important link in an older spiritual tradition and one that then inspired the guided the likes of Rumi.

The beautiful hoopoe (In Urdu Hud Hud ہدُہدُُ) is of course a bird of mystical significance. A messenger of Prophet Solomon, the hoopoe is central to the poem as it acts as the motivator, guide & leader of the birds, who set off in pursuit of the celestial Simorgh. The way is arduous and the great Simorgh dwells far away beyond the mythical Mountain of Qaf and harsh and forbidding landscapes comprising of seven valleys - the Valleys of Quest, Love, Insight into Mystery, Detachment and Serenity, Unity, Awe, and finally, Poverty and Nothingness. The ultimate insight of what we seek actually existing within ourselves; of the Divine being present everywhere including us; and the answers to our questions lying in what we choose and who we become and want to be and how honestly and passionately we strive for them; are the essential and central insights of Sufism that also characterize this classic poem. The Simorgh here symbolizing not just the mythical and ethereal bird but also literally meaning thirty birds (which is the paltry number which exhausted and spent finally manages to complete the arduous journey from amongst the thousands that set off but failed). Time and again the perilousness nature of the spiritual pursuit is highlighted and the necessity of self-abnegation and bidding farewell to bonds and aspirations material and worldly. As Attar says:

"Your heart is not a mirror bright and clear
If there the Simorgh's form does not appear;
No one can bear His beauty face to face,
And for this reason, of His perfect grace,
He makes a mirror in our hearts - look there
To see Him, search your hearts with anxious care."

[giso0 · Rating 4 out of 5]

این که بزرگان ادبیات ما همگی به آیات و روایات دینی هم مسلط بودن و همین طور تفاوت دانسته های زمان قدیم و حال و همچنین زیبایی ها و فنون شاعرانه ایجاب می کنه چنین کتاب هایی رو با شرح و تفسیرشون بخونیم.
اگرچه هر جایی که برام ناآشنا بود به دنبال مقصود شاعر گشتم ولی اگر حوصله ی کافی داشتم بهتر بود شرحش رو هم می خوندم.
..
خیلی از حکایت هایی رو که در سال های کودکی و اوایل نوجوونی شنیده بودم و حتی یادم نمونده بود از چه کتابی هستن اینجا پیدا کردم.

[Aurelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Conference f Birds is an allegory of a spiritual journey written by XIIth century Persian poet Farid Din Attar. He is not the household name when it comes to Sufism and Islamic mysticism, yet his work is such a complete representation of the peculiarities of Sufi writings, with a striking and powerful imagery, elaborated paradoxes, and excellently thought-provoking similes.

The spiritual journey being itself a mystery which cannot be clearly related, it is only through this allegory that the poet tries to convey what cannot be analytically described. Most of times he is only making signs, never fully giving an answer, since any answer have to be realized and understood by the seeker himself, no one can stand for him in walking this journey, which for the majority, seems quit an obscure and absurd endeavor.

Perhaps one of the first questions that comes to mind, is the motivation of those who intend to embark on a spiritual journey and turn their backs on the world. For most of us this seems quite distant and unlikely. After all we spend most of our lives striving after worldly belongings, status and success, and conformity to social expectations. The spiritual path is for those who have seen the futility of these attempts, who realized the fickleness of the world, the despair that comes up from seeking praise and avoiding blame, the wasting of efforts in trying to get this only to want otherwise in the next moment. The quest is in a sort a way out of all this turmoil of life that we are born to. In walking the path of detachment, one can find a refuge, and maybe the stillness of peace.

It is a calling for seekers to leave worldly concerns behind, it is described by Attar in the form of a longing, the imagery of a longing lover is abundant throughout the poem. This intense attraction that pushes one away from all other distractions, and absorbs all his efforts to direct them towards one goal. It also strips every thing else from value, so that the object of love remains the sole matter of concern.

Yet not all experience this intense longing nor do they hold on to it until the end of the journey. Distractions are real and do have a powerful hold on the will of seekers. They come in the form of excuses, like cowardice, fear and laziness, but also ignorance of the real value of things. Our attachment to what we believe a real source of happiness, and our fear of losing it and inability to gave it up for this unknown goal that is the fulfillment of spiritual life, stops prematurely all attempts. In Attar’s Poem, greed for acquiring possessions, attachment to what is fickle and changing, to the sense of selfhood and the pride found in it, are all obstacles to even the conceptual understanding of the spiritual path, let along embarking on it.

In the spirit of Islam which upholds the absolute oneness of God, this is portrayed by Sufis as a form of Idolatry. It is indeed the most sophisticated and intimate idolatry that exists. Because next to God, one places another object of worship, glorifying it without being aware of the extend of his delusion. Although the objects of delusion are diverse, and the analytic mind roams around endlessly to justify this or that, the core of the delusion remains one and only, and that is the notion of the Self.

The Self occupies a pivotal role in Attar’s poem, it is that which pulls us away from the path, the master who enslaves us and drives us to despair. It is the source of greed and pride, of forgetfulness and neglect. The spiritual quest from beginning to the end is about the abandoning of the symptoms of this slavery but also the total annihilation of the source of the disease. God’s chosen ones, through the power of his calling, the intensity of their longing, are pulled away from the idolatry of the Self towards coming back to the original Oneness with God.

Even if one is fortuned enough to see beyond these illusions, there are still many dangers that lay ahead. The path is plagued with difficulties such as doubt, weakness and many abundant distractions. Even if one leaves behind greed and pride in worldly affair, more intimate and subtler forms of these defilements arise within himself, like greed in the reward in the next life, and conceit arising because of spiritual achievement. The aim of the spiritual life is the total abandoning of even the slightest traces of the Self, the letting go of all this whirlpool of greed and conceit, and the realization of the purity of Nothingness, the dwelling in God’s glory and in the Peace of his Bliss.

At the climax of the journey, Attar tries to convey the bewilderment of the seekers as they discover the Truth hidden for so long from there sight. To their great astonishment, the birds discover that what they were seeking once belonged to them, it was a part of them, but because of ignorance, ingratitude and pride they sold it, they sold it for what was way below its true value. Attar elaborates magnificent similes to describe the foolishness of the one who gives away the priceless for a cheap price, and therefore condemns himself to an existence of misery by his own hands. It is by this realization that the seeker comes back to God, retrieves what he has lost, becomes complete and not lacking anything in the Nothingness of the Annihilation in God. His painful separation from God was a sin that he committed with his own hand, but through God’s Grace and Mercy this fatal error was pardoned.

In his epilogue, Attar acknowledges the difficulty of this endeavor of describing something which is realized in silence and not by word. But he seems to be confident in the power of his poetry, and hopes that it will provide other seekers with signs which will help them on their path. But beyond our efforts to see our existence with insight, and Attar’s help to point the way, there remains only God’s Grace to hope for, He is the Ultimate Guide and the Ultimate Savor able to pull us from our ignorance. It is through His Mercy that we can hope to advance on this path, for as weak and deluded as we are, we have nothing to offer Him in return.

[Atheer Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

أخطأت عندما قرأت منطق الطير في جلسة واحدة بحجة السلوى عن المرض..
يفترض أن يقرأ مقسما على فترة طويلة...
كل يوم صفحة ربما..
والصدق أنني أسقطت ٣ صفحات عمدا ولن أقرأها أبدا..


أحسست بالخجل..
كانت لدي أعذار الطيور الواهية القبيحة ذاتها..
الأفكار الموجودة هنا لم تكن بالجديدة علي..
ولذلك فقد مللت وضقت ذرعا بالمقدمة والشرح..
وضقت ذرعا أكثر بمحاولة تصنيفه مذهبيا..
ولو أن لدي تكهني الصغير الخاص في هذا الموضوع.. :)
لكن ليس كل مايخطر في البال يقال...


منذ أن أغلقت الكتاب وحتى الآن..
يؤرقني صدى لشطر بيت
"إن المحب لمن أحب مطيع"
فأين طاعتي!؟

لكنك تعلم يالله.. أني أحسن من ذاك الطائر بقليل...
إذ أنني لاأخجل من طرق بابك مرارا وتكرارا...
فمن قد يحب صفيقا ناكث الوعد مثلي غيرك!؟
وأنك تعرف..
"لَئِنْ أَدْخَلْتَنِي النّار لاُخْبِرَنَّ أَهْلَ النّارِ بِحُبِّي لَكَ"..

وكنت أفكر...
هل بابك حقا لايُفتح إلا لكل واحد من ألف؟!
فأنقبضت... ونضب الدم من أطرافي...
إذا أنك أيضا تعرف ياالله..
أنني أُقبل وحدي على أمر جلل....
قد فر منه رجال كثيرون..

ولاأطلب سوى أن تكون ثالثنا يالله...


-آمين.

[Salma · Rating 3 out of 5]

تحديث:إضافة رابط مقال عن مقارنة بسيطة بين منطق الطير للعطار و رسالة الطير لكل من الغزالي و ابن سينا

الطير بين العطار و ابن سينا و الغزالي

---
أما بالنسبة لمنطق الطير للعطار
فهي منظومة شعرية قصصية فارسية صوفية رمزية من القرن الثاني عشر و الثالث عشر الميلادي، من أشهر المنظومات الصوفية...0
حيث اجتمعت الطيور يوما لتقوم برحلة صوب الطائر الأكمل و الأجمل و السلطان المطلق و المسمى "السيمرغ" و انتدبوا الهدهد ليكون رئيسا لهم و مرشدا... فطفقت الطيور تقدم التبريرات المختلفة حتى لا تتكبد مشاق الرحلة و بعضها راحت تسأل عن الطريق شتى الأسئلة... و الهدهد يجيب عن كل هذا و يفند كل الأوهام و يحثهم للتخلي عن كل العلائق و المضي نحو عشق الأكمل من خلال المواعظ و القصص المختلفة و يخبرهم عن الأودية التي سيمرون بها وادي الطلب ثم العشق ثم المعرفة ثم الاستغناء ثم التوحيد ثم الحيرة و أخيرا الفناء و البقاء... و هكذا انطلقوا جميعا و تكبدوا المشاق على أنواعها و مات من مات و فني من فني حتى وصل ثلاثون طائرا إلى الحضرة ليرفع الحجاب و يكتشفوا أن السيمرغ لم يكن إلا انعكاسا لصورتهم! 0

ربما لم أستمتع كثيرا كما كنت أرجو، بالنكهة الصوفية و ذلك بسبب الأسلوب
الوصفي المبالغ فيه بوفرة و هو أمر يقودني للجنون و لا أستطيع الصبر معه كثيرا و بسبب بعض الشطحات التي لم تعجبني و بعض الرمزية التي لم أفهمها، و لكن لا بأس بها فأسلوبها غريب و لا مألوف
كما أن الدراسة التي قدمهاالمترجم بديع محمد جمعة في بداية المنظومة قيمة للغاية
-

[Emiliya Bozhilova · Rating 5 out of 5]

Атар неслучайно е бил считан за еретик. Тази негова поема за душата - птица, устремена към първоизточника, към митичния владетел Симург, дава съвсем не онези отговори, които религиозният канон предвижда. Мистичният суфизъм, изчистен от понякога непонятната символика, всъщност е много близък до съвременността. Защото повдига воалите на собствената ни душа, за да посочи скритите в самата нея отговори и съкровища. Но пътят през заблудите е тежък, а изкушенията и извиненията изобщо да не поемем по него - безброй.

А посланието е от 12 век!

Единият от английските преводи (на Edward Fitzgerald) е доста поетичен, но на места и доста неразбираем и архаичен. Ключови моменти от съмненията на птиците за посочения път са с пожертвана яснота за сметка на рима. Губи се напълно и смисълът на притчите, вплетени в историята. Все пак има някои хубави моменти:

🦚”Who then this Travel to Result would bring
Needs both a Lion's Heart beneath the Wing,
And even more, a Spirit purified
Of Worldly Passion, Malice, Lust, and Pride:”

🦚”Thousands may knock for one that enters in.”

🦚”The Sun of my Perfection is a Glass
Wherein from Seeing into Being pass
All who, reflecting as reflected see
Themselves in Me, and Me in Them: not Me,
But all of Me that a contracted Eye
Is comprehensive of Infinity:
Nor yet Themselves: no Selves, but of The All
Fractions, from which they split and whither fall.”

🦚”Come you lost Atoms to your Centre draw,
And be the Eternal Mirror that you saw:”

Другият превод е в проза - на Sholeh Wolpe, но доста по-ясен (преводачката е и наполовина иранка) и изданието е с детайлен коментар от преводача. Историята в тази и версия е прекрасна и дълбока, и за мен е очевидно, че римите в предния превод са били изцяло за сметка на посланието. Тази версия е точно историята, която ми стана любима и дано видя преведена на български:

🪶”If you have the Ocean, you have the drop.
Don’t settle for less, don’t seek anything but the Ocean.”

🪶”When a door is cracked open, sunlight pours in.
Shadows suddenly vanish.
What remains will be the Sun and you.”

🪶”Love is above heresy and faith.”

🪶”Heaven and Hell are of your own making.”

🪶”Body is not separate from the soul; it’s a part of it.
Soul is not separate from the universe; it’s a part of it.”

🪶”The devil said: “Know and remember only this:
To avoid becoming me, never say ‘I.’””

🪶”If you busy yourself with finding faults, when will you find the time to rejoice in the Beauty of the Unseen?”

🪶”Love is the business of the experienced.
Love is the business of the free.”

🪶”When the ocean tosses and breaks,
how can patterns that shimmer
on the surface endure?
Both worlds are reflected in those patterns
dancing on the sea.”

[Sheyda Heydari Shovir · Rating 2 out of 5]

منطق ‌الطیر اغلب کنار مثنوی و حدیقه الحقیقه میاد. همینکه مخزن الاسرار (لعنت الله علیه) درین سه‌گانه راه پیدا نکرده باعث خوشحالیه. اما بچشم من منطق الطیر ضعیفترین این سه‌گانه است؛ چون تقریبا هیچ نکته خاصی نداره و بدشانسیی که آورده کنار این دو اثر اومده که شاعرانش واقعا فیوز عقل رو سوزونده بودند و خل بودند. فکر نمیکنم منطق الطیر بتونه کنار مثنوی و حدیقه جلوه‌ای بکنه.
حال اینکه منطق الطیر بلحاظ دستوری درستتر ازین دوتای دیگه‌ست. تو این منظومه غلط فاحش دستوری دیده نمیشه و بنظرم اون چند تا غلط روتین هم که دیده میشه از نسخه میتونه باشه. زبان سالم و بسیار عادی داره و نهایتا چندجا کلمهایی از گویش کدکنی توش میاد. درحالیکه اون دو عزیز تو دستور براه دیگه‌ای رفته‌ند اما اون نحو زیبا رو مرتکب شده‌ند.
همینطور اینکه منطق الطیر بیشتر توصیف رابطه خدا و بنده و س��تیهای راه رهروست. خشکه، خیلی میتونه آموزشی باشه و شاعرانگیی توش نیست. و متاسفانه جنبه تعلیمی‌ش کمرنگه. بیتهای امری و نهیی دنیاسوز خیلی کم داره و اگر داره چندان موثر نیستند. حداقل شخص من در طول کل این منظومه ۴۷۰۰ بیتی دوبار خیلی تحت تاثیر قرار گرفتم. در یک کلام منطق الطیر سوز نداره و بیک معنی عرفانی نیست بلکه بیشتر در مورد عرفانه؛ منظور اینکه تجربه عرفانی رو من نمیبینم ولی میبینم که ازش حرف میزنه.
این منظومه پر از حکایت و تمثیله اما فکر میکنم بجز مورد داستان شیخ صنعان سر و ته داستانها هم اومده و خیلی اصلا مطرح نبوده. داستانها صرفا مثالهای وسط حرفند و بعنوان داستان خام و ناپرداخته‌ند.
با این اوصاف ممکنه بنظر بیاد که من ازین مثنوی نفرت دارم و فکر میکنم خسته کننده ترین نوشته دنیاست اما ابدا اینجوری نیست. بنظرم اثر متوسط و قابل احترامیه، استانداردهارو داره و دستکم بد نیست. اما در نهایت نخودی اون دو بزرگواره.
در مورد این چاپ:
دست شفیعی درد نکنه برای تصحیح و تحقیقش. مقدمه جالبی نوشته‌ و توضیحاتی که راجع بافراد وارد شرحش کرده خیلی خوبه. اما من از شرح اصلا استفاده‌ای نتونستم بکنم. مثل همیشه دشواریهای اصلی متن مسکوت مونده اما توضیح واضحاتی که در مورد بقیه چیزها میده بندو آب میده. مواقعی هم که اینطور نیست نمیدونم چرا این مرد بزرگ این اخلاق پسندیده رو نداره که برای تاملاتش شاهد و قرینه‌ای بیاره. اجازه نمیده آدم احساس کنه داره کار علمی میخونه. خیلی وقتها وقتی معنی چیزی معلومش نیست مینویشه ظاهرا فلان است. فکر میکنم آدم اگه اون چهار هجای نازنین نمیدانم رو بگه خیلی بهتره تا معنایی که میشه از قراین متن حدس زد رو با ظاهرا و بدون هیچ توضیحی بیاره. بهرحال خدا حفظش کنه.

[Nazmi Yaakub · Rating 5 out of 5]

ii.

Bacaan kali kedua selesai dengan mengambil manfaat daripada pengangkutan awam MRT. Patut ada ulasan yang berasingan untuk terjemahan yang dibaca kali ini kerana ada perubahan metodologi penterjemahan yang mengasingkan puisi soal jawab para unggas daripada contoh yang dibawa oleh Attar terhadap isu yang dibincangkan.

i.

Perjalanan kerohanian atau kalau boleh disebut sebagai 'penerbangan' kerohanian hanya berlaku pada hujung Mantiq at-Tayr atau The Conference of the Birds atau dalam bahasa Melayu diterjemah kepada Sidang Burung sebenarnya. Pada awal-awal mathnawi yang panjang ini, berlaku perdebatan antara para unggas dengan burung hudhud yang dianggap paling bijaksana sehingga layak berada di balai kehormatan istana Nabi Sulaiman.

Burung hudhud ibarat guru murshid yang cuba mengajak para unggas untuk melakukan perjalanan yang panjang, perit dan pedih tetapi sangat mustahak untuk mengadap serta menyaksikan Simurgh. Bagaimanapun, sekalian burung memiliki alasan sendiri mengapa berasa ragu-ragu dan berat hati untuk menyahut seruan suci itu.

Setiap keluhan dan alasan para unggas yang ragu-ragu itu dijawab setiap satu oleh Sang Hudhud - dengan kisah para anbiya dan auliya serta fable yg menarik tetapi mendalam, sekaligus menunjukkan kearifannya. Selesai soal jawab, maka Sang Hudhud membentangkan pula tujuh lembah yang perlu direntasi mereka - tujuh maqamat yang memiliki cabaran yang setiap satu akan mengorbankan banyak diri.

Apa yang dikarang oleh Attar memperlihatkan beliau bukanlah penyair biasa atau tidak lebih perakam zaman, sebaliknya beliau sendiri ialah guru murshid yang setiap jawapan diberikan olehnya bukan hanya menewaskan keraguan para unggas, bahkan seolah-olah menempelak kita sebagai pembaca.

Perjalanan sebenar hanyalah pendek kerana memang dalam tasawuf, manisnya gula tidak mungkin dapat dibicarakan dengan lisan dan rasional, sebaliknya hanya dapat diketahui lewat rasa. Bagaimanapun, membaca buku ini adalah ibarat menepuk-nepuk kepala kita kerana masih enggan merasai manisnya gula meski sudah membaca sekian banyak kajian mengenai gula!

[Qais Omar · Rating 5 out of 5]

The premise of Farid ud-Din Attar's poems in The Conference of the Birds is simple: the birds gather to seek the king of the birds, the Simorgh. One of the birds, the hoopoe, tells them that the Simorgh lives far away and that the journey there is hazardous.

First, the birds are enthusiastic to begin their search for the Simorgh -- a metaphor for Almighty God in Sufi mysticism -- but when they realize how difficult the journey will be, they start to make excuses. For instance, the finch says that he is too weak and cowardly. The hawk says he is satisfied with his position at the court waiting on the kings. The nightingale says he cannot leave his beloved the rose, and so on. The birds are identified by their species, and each species indicates a human type, and their excuses for not going on the journey are given according to their kind.

The hoopoe, on the other hand, represents the birds’ guide, and he is the equivalent of a Sheikh in Sufism leading a group of Sufis. He answers each of the bird’s excuses with anecdotes, and each anecdote shows how their desires and fears are mistaken.

Finally, the group formally accepts the hoopoe as a leader. They fly a little, and then before proceeding further, they ask him a series of questions about the journey. Again, the hoopoe answers them with anecdotes. Each answer contains two or three stories, illustrating the particular point the hoopoe is making. All the stories are linked together by admonition and commentary.

The last questions are about the length of the journey, on which they must cross seven valleys. Why "seven" valleys? The number "seven" in Islam is significant because in the Koran it is the most repeated number after the number "One", which represents God. Seventh heaven, above which is the throne of God. Seven doorways to paradise, which are represented by the seven valleys in The Conference of the Birds, through which the birds must pass to finally reach God. The seventh day for ‘Aqeeqa’, one of the four stages in Sufism. Seven stages for the completion of man’s creation....

In The Conference of the Birds, Attar frequently stresses one doctrine: the soul is trapped within the cage of the body. It can reach God if it wishes, but to unite with God, the soul must look inward and make an internal journey to pass the seven valleys to reach God.

The journey is quickly completed. The birds reach the court of the Simorgh. But when they first arrive, they are turned back. Finally, they understand that the Simorgh they have sought is none other than themselves, and that they have completed their internal journey.

The Conference of the Birds is beautifully written, and I highly recommend it.

Qais Akbar Omar

[Bidisha Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

A poem, a prayer, a trance, a philosophical treatise, a sojourn. everything is this, and this is everything, to describe this in Attar's poetics.
if there was only one text that I could read, it would be this.
he knows, he knows the truth we seek,
that hidden truth of which we cannot speak.

[Fahad Alqurain · Rating 5 out of 5]

يقول فريد الدين العطار

العشق نار هناك اما العقل فدخان ، فما ان يقبل العشق حتى يفر العقل مسرعاً

وانا عشقت كتابك يا عطار وفرَ عقلي

[Fantastiškų KŽL · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aš nieko nerašysiu, nes gražiau nei cypt nei pamatyt, nei parašyt, nei suprast nemoku.

[Hadi · Rating 5 out of 5]

اهل صورت غرق گفتار من‌اند / اهل معنی مرد اسرار من‌اند
...
تا قیامت نیز چون من بیخودی / در سخن ننهد قلم بر کاغذی
...
بس که خود را چون چراغی سوختم / تا جهانی را چو شمع افروختم
...
گر دمی بر راه او در کارمی / کی چنین مستغرق اشعارمی
گر مرا در راه او بودی مقام / شین شعرم شین شر گشتی مدام
شعر گفتن حجت بی‌حاصلی‌ست / خویشن وا دید کردن جاهلی‌ست.

[Edita · Rating 5 out of 5]

I doubt my doubt, doubt itself is unsure
I love, but who is it for whom I sigh?

[Aya Hatem · Rating 2 out of 5]

ترجمته سيئة جدا اللى جعل فى فهمه بعض الصعوبة
وكتفسير لفلسفة الصوفية بـ (أنا أنت وأنت أنا وأنت هو أنا) انهم روح الله وصفاته
وكمجمل كتاب مايفهموش غير قلب عاشق

[Mustafa Hasan · Rating 5 out of 5]

منطق الطير هي بحق رائعة من روائع التصوف الاسلامي، يحكي فريد الدين العطار في هذا الكتاب حكاية كبرى محورية ويداخل فيها عشرات الحكايا والقصص الثانوية، تتحدث الحكاية الكبرى -ويا لها من اشراقة روحية باهرة- عن دعوة الهدهد لسائر الطيور للذهاب في رحلة شاقة إلى "جبل قاف" حيث سيصلون إلى سيد الطيور طائر السيمرغ (العنقاء)، وتبدأ الرحلة الملحمية للسير ويتخلف المتخلفون ويضعون الأعذار ولا يخلص منهم الا القليل، في إشارة رمزية الى سير المؤمنين نحو الله عز وجل.
منطق الطير هو ديوان شعري بالفارسية، فما قرأته ليس سوى عمل مترجم وبنص نثري، ولكن من قوة هذا الشعر فإنه يحافظ على صلابته مهما تبدل الوزن وتغيرت اللغة، الاسلوب في غاية الروعة وفيها عذوبة فريدة، وخاصة حين يحكي القصص ويسرد الاحداث، تختلط الاحداث بالخيال والتشبيهات في صياغة ولا اروع
أنا اعرف بعد قراءتي لهذا الكتاب، ان هذا العالم الجميل من الطيور والسير والعشق الالهي مميز وخاص جدا بحيث لن نجده عند شاعر او متصوف اخر، ولكن
عزاؤنا بأن نعود للكتاب كلما اشتقنا لذاك العالم
مايقارب السنة قضيتها في قراءة هذا الكتاب


تنويه: انا يهمني النص من الناحية الأدبية وفي خياله وتأملاته، وليس من اهتمامي ان احاكم العطار بأنه شطح هنا أو له قصائد خمرية أو له عقائد لا اتبناها..

[Haniye safarpour · Rating 5 out of 5]

اولین کتابی هست که از عطار می‌خونم و برام شیرین بود.
کتاب رو همراه با ویس‌های استادی که تو کانال تلگرامش گذاشته بود می‌خوندم، ولی ویس‌ها نصف کتاب رو پوشش می‌داد، بعد پیگیری متوجه شدم که ایشون متاسفانه فوت کردند و کلاس منطق‌الطیر خوانیشون نصفه مونده (روحشون شاد). البته که من خودم کل کتاب رو خوندم ولی این اتفاق و نصفه بودن فایل‌های صوتی حس و نگاه عجیبی به زندگی، روزمره‌ها و مطالب کتاب در من ایجاد کرد. فکر می‌کنم حتی باعث شد که کتاب رو بادقت‌تر بخونم و تلاشم برای درک مطالب کتاب بیشتر بشه.

[Christopher Porzenheim · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Conference of the Birds is a Sufi allegorical story written by Attar about multiple birds quest to find God.

Each bird represents a certain type of person with certain virtues or vices. The birds are greedy, lazy, fearful, arrogant, and so on.

Attar's poem is a mirror which we can use to see parts of ourselves and others.

Attar's hope was that his birds quest could serve as a mirror we can use to become more self aware. Here is Attar's verse at the poems conclusion:  

I, with my words,
Have shown to sleeping men their souls as birds.
And if these words can prompt one heart to wake
From lifelong stupor for their mystery’s sake,
I’ll know, I’ll have no doubt, that all my pain
And grief are over, and were not in vain-
I will have been a lamp, a candle’s light
That burns itself, and makes the whole world bright.

Attar's poem is a mirror for cultivating self awareness.

Attar's poem begins with the birds electing the Hoopoe as their guide. As soon as the journey begins so do the birds excuses, doubts, and questions. The Hoopoe answers each bird with 3-4 allegorical stories. This pattern of question and multiple stories as an answer repeats and makes up most of the Conference of the Birds. 

For example, one bird fears death. So the Hoopoe tells a story about Socrates:

When Socrates lay close to death, a youth-
Who was his student in the search for Truth-
Said: ‘Master, when we’ve washed the man we knew
And brought your shroud, where should we bury you?'
He said: 'If you can find me when I’ve died,
Then bury me wherever you decide.-
I’ve never found myself; I cannot see
How when I’m dead you could discover me.
Throughout my life not one small particle
Had any knowledge of itself at all!'

Sounds like the ever whimsical Socrates to me.

Attar mimics and, I think, surpasses Plato's story about this same moment: 

[Crito said] 'how shall we bury you?' 'In any way you like,' said Socrates, 'if you can catch me and I do not escape you.' And laughing quietly, looking at us, he said: 'I do not convince Crito that I am this Socrates talking to you here and ordering all I say, but he thinks that I am the thing which he will soon be looking at as a corpse, and so he asks how he shall bury me.' (Plato's Phaedo at 115c-116a.)

Platonic echo aside, Attar's Conference of Bird's also resembles Dante's Inferno; both stories are framed as journeys to God which explore human virtues and vices for listener and or readers benefit.

Like Dante, Attar had a soft spot for the virtuous of other religious traditions. As we've seen for example, noble non-Muslims such as Socrates are approved of by Attar.

But despite this soft spot for specific virtuous Greek philosophers, such as as Socrates, Attar condemns Greek philosophy in general:

How will you know the truths religion speaks
While your’re philosophizing with the Greeks?
How can you be a man of faith while you’re still wrapped in their philosophic lore?
If someone traveling on love’s Way should say
'Philosophy', he doesn’t know loves way; [...]
Philosophy, though, snares you with its ‘why’s
And ‘how’s, and it mostly ensnares the wise. [...]
Medina’s wisdom is enough, my friend,
Throw dirt on Greece, and all that Greece might send.

Attar sees that love is the true path to wisdom and God, and that Greek philosophy leads us away from love.

I have to disagree with Attar.

Generally, Greek philosophers saw love and the proper practice of it as the key to self awareness and self improvement. Take Plato for example, he thought that the sight of beauty quickens love which through the use of reason leads to the truth. Philosophy, is after all, a love of wisdom.

Generally speaking, proper reason mirrors proper love in the Greek philosophical tradition; one cannot reason well without love or love well without reason; reason and love act in harmony when either is done well.

But Attar, unlike his Greek predecessors, sees reason as always in opposition to love. As he puts it so eloquently:

My book’s all madness, Reason won’t appear
Within it’s pages, she’s a stranger here,
And till the soul breathes in this madness she
Remains a stranger to eternity.

I've spent too much time philosophizing with the Greeks to be able to agree with Attar's complete rejection of reason.

But, thankfully, we don't need to agree with Attar entirely to see how we can use his poem as a mirror to ritually channel our awareness for the sake of self improvement.

We simply need to be very clear about why Attar distrusts reason...

So, what's the reason Attar distrusts 'reason'?

I think we all can benefit from taking Attar seriously here, especially if you're the kind of person attached to seeing themselves as 'logical' or 'rational' rather than 'emotional.'

It would be easy, boring and lazy to dismiss Attar's distrust of reason as complete nonsense. More to the point, such a lazy dismissal would make it much harder to enjoy or benefit from Attar's Conference of Bird's.

Whether or not we agree with Attar's reasons for distrusting reason we need to understand them to understand him, or give a real reason why he might be wrong.

Here's what I think Attar is up to...

Now, I'm certain you've noticed at some point in your life that you can rarely -if ever- convince people to believe something based on pure logic, reason, or empirical claims.

That's because a more reliable way -perhaps the only reliable way- to change someone's mind is telling them stories that appeal indirectly to them.

This is of course, exactly what Attar does.

Attar's poem is a bunch of stories, not a bunch of systematic 'reasons.'

Still, there is a recurring pattern behind most of Attar's enjoyable stories, one which amounts to a kind of reasoned argument when we examine his poem as a whole.

In Attar's stories, usually a lover falls in love with someone they are perceived as being unworthy to love: a beggar for a prince, an ascetic for a princess, a Sufi for God, etc,

Generally, the pattern in Attar's poem is that a social inferior falls in love with a social superior. This love is usually seen as scandalous, and as a rule of thumb the lovers love for the beloved is questioned and challenged by society. 

Most of Attar's stories end badly for the social inferior. Often in death.

But this 'death' is shown as a metaphor for our egos death and changes in our self understanding. Death is seen as only a kind of change, and change as a kind of death.

This is why Attar's and Plato's Socrates laughs when his followers desire to bury 'him.' 'Socrates' won't be around after death. Nor will 'Socrates' experience his own death. In other words, death is not an event 'we' experience in life.

There's some wisdom in distrusting reason in favor of intuitive love.

For it is only when we let go of who we think we are -and what we are attached to thinking we look like to others- that we can become more aware of who we truly are, which is the first step in any process of self improvement.

The problem with Attar, as I see it, is that I doubt he would be satisfied with this conclusion, he would want more of us than 'just' cultivating our self awareness for the sake of self and societal improvement.

Attar would want us to go even further, to dissolve our Self and loyalty to others into a mystic rapture of 'oneness' with the world; by submitting to a true and un-reasoned intuitive and spontaneous love for God, the universe, and everyone in it.

Here's why I think Attar would want us to go one step farther. As the translators of my the Conference of Birds, Dick Davis and Afkham Darbani, put it in their introduction:

Certain of the beliefs central to Sufism seem to engage Attar’s imagination more than others. Two themes in particular are diffused throughout the whole poem -the necessity for destroying the Self, and the importance of passionate love. Both are mentioned in every conceivable context and not only at the ‘appropriate’ moments in the narrative. The two [themes] are connected: the Self is seen as an entity dependent on pride and reputation, there can be no progress until the pilgrim is indifferent to both, and the surest way of making him indifferent is the experience of overwhelming love.

Attar's stories show again, and again, and again, that through the right kind of love we over come our selfish vanity and find the nature of god, the universe, and ourselves as more interrelated than we imagined.

Attar wishes us to see that we are the universe witnessing itself -that we are all 'god'- and that the right kind of love is indiscriminate, universal, and impartial to all 'differences.' After all, if 'we' are 'everything' and all 'god' then preferring to love some people or things more than others is downright foolish, because all we are doing is rejecting 'ourselves.'

This is why the Conference of the Birds ends the way it does.

At the very end of the story, the birds that persevered throughout the poem and heard all of the Hoopoes stories find themselves looking into a pond. Within it, they see God within themselves reflected, the very thing they started their journey in search of.

Attar's prologue succinctly states what we are to take away from that scene and the Conference of the Birds as a whole:

The things you seek and know are you, and so
It’s you a hundred ways, you're forced to know.

I think this is the reason why Attar distrusts reason in general.

Reasoning with others always creates conceptual differences between things, otherwise we can't speak of one thing being different than another. And if we are the universe witnessing itself, then 'reason,' as well as language, merely creates false categories and abstractions, enslaving us to concepts, blinding us to how interconnected everything and everyone is.

While I think this is all a fine metaphor we benefit from learning, I don't think it's literally true and I also think this metaphor creates just as many problems as it solves.

Let me first explain where I think Attar is right, and helpful to us all, before I move on to places where he creates problems for us if we value social relationships, friendship, or family.

We can all agree that I am not the same person I was when I was 10.

The only reason I think of there being a continuity between 10 year old me and present day me is because I automatically use the concept of the Self. 

As I imagine Attar might wisely say: I am a fool if I out of loyalty to 10 year old me, I refuse to try a new activity because I want to be 'true to myself.'

For example, 10 year old me thought that skateboarding was something dumb punks did because 10 year old me recited the opinions of his Catholic grandma. Spongebob Squarepants was also suspect, for her, and thus for me, just in case you were wondering. The early 2000s Kids Tv Show Rocket Power was also suspect in my childhood. Why? It glorified the great satan of skateboarding.

Anyway, years later, I only realized how silly my suspicion of Spongebob and skateboarding was as friends of mine told me stories about their love of Spongebob and skateboarding.

These friends opened up new (and truer) ways of seeing the world for me.

My reasons to distrust Spongebob and skateboarding were ridiculous, but if someone had tried to reason or argue me out of them, I likely wouldn't have listened. My 'reasons' came from a foolish, if understandable, loyalty to the opinions of a loved one.

Attar is, like a good friend, excellent at telling us stories which help us get rid of silly ideas we get from ourselves and others about who we really are, can be, and whether Spongebob is corrupting the youth.

Sometimes 'reason' is just a convenient and socially respected cudgel we -or society- use on ourselves and others as a means of creating a conformity as meaningless as it is misguided or damaging. This is Attar's concern, and why he can help us.

Attar is great at helping us see and imagine who we really are, and could become, because his stories constantly remind us how fluid who we are really is.

So that's what sound about Attar's distrust of reason, and why he's especially worth a read, but here's the rub.

Attar doesn't distrust reason in specific cases; he doubts reason is ever useful. Because if we are the universe witnessing itself, reason can only ever divide and blind us into partial, foolish, and selfish love.

From Attar's way of seeing things, my 10 year old preferential beliefs about skateboarding and Spongebob are as delusional as my preferential love for close friends and family.

After all, where do we usually get get our reasons from, and who do we usually address them to? While we can marginally reason on our own, we primarily do so because of, with, and for others we have social relationships with.

Reason is primarily a social tool, like storytelling, that we use to renew, repair, and reform our social relationships and society.

This is why Attar's categorical distrust of reason leads to a categorical distrust all social relationships.

From Attar's way of seeing things, both reason and social relationships imprison us into a partial, limited, and distinct sense of self apart from the universe as a whole -think of my reliance on my beloved Grandma's reasoning about skateboarding and spongebob.

If you're like me, you probably don't find this side of Attar helpful, and want to pinpoint where he went wrong, especially because he's so helpful at freeing us from foolishly hating things, such as Spongebob.

Plato can help us answer Attar.

Plato's answer is one Attar might not agree with, but Plato's answer will let us read, enjoy, and make sense of Attar whether or not we fully agree with Attar's categorical distrust of reason.

Plato has Socrates argue that a categorical distrust of reason is as foolish, misguided, and silly as hating all humanity.

SOCRATES: We must not become haters of reason as people become haters of humanity. There is no greater evil one can suffer than to hate reasonable discourse. A hatred of reason and a hatred of humanity arise in the same way.

A hatred of humanity comes when someone without knowledge or skill has placed great trust in someone else and believes him to be altogether truthful, sound and trustworthy.

Then a short time afterwards, they find him to be wicked and unreliable. Then this happens in another case. When this happens enough, especially with those you believed to be close friends, then in the end, after many such blows, people come to hate all humanity and to believe that no one is sound in any way at all.

Such a hatred of humanity comes most easily to those that have little experience and skill in social relationships. For great experience would lead one to believe -what is in fact true- that the very good and the very wicked are both quite rare, and that most people are between these two extremes. (A paraphrase of Plato's Phaedo at 89d-90a.)

A complete distrust of reason, verging on hatred, arises when we have frequently been let down by arguments. But this does not mean we should give up on our ability to talk clearly, truthfully, and honestly to each other.

If we find ourselves constantly let down by others, or arguments, this means we have something to learn, not that we should give up on our ability to learn.

Plato compared the hatred of reason to the hatred of humanity for a very good reason.

For Plato, and much of the rest of Greek philosophy, reason was something you did by speaking with others, it was a social act, not a private mental one. Thus, to give up on reason did not mean giving up on your own ability to think or speak, but giving up on our collective ability to clearly discuss things, learn, and have plans and relationships with each other.

Reason and love, on this view, are mean't to harmonize with each other, however exactly that harmony works out...

I think, with Plato, that we should not hate everyone else, or all reason, but take courage, and eagerly question and wonder -in the company of trusted friends and storytellers- what led us to mistaken love or reason in the first place.  

Still, whether we prefer to see love and reason like Plato or Attar, we can benefit from the Conference of the Birds by using it's stories as a mirror for cultivating self awareness. His poem, is like a journal, a way of regularly ritually reviewing the direction of our life.

Attar's stories are enjoyable and useful with or without us fully agreeing with his views on love, reason, or God.

Just please don't give up on reason or humanity because of a few bad apples.

POSTSCRIPT: Click here for a rich text version of this review with pictures and links and footnotes.

[Amir H · Rating 4 out of 5]

منطق الطیر حتی برای من که از دنیای عارفان سر در نمی آورم نیز زیبا بود. و بیت زیر می تواند شرح حال من باشه: حالا که جوانم و میتونم نمی دونم. شاید روزی بدونم که دیگه نتونم.

چون توانستم ندانستم ، چه سود
چون بدانستم، توانستم نبود

[Naim · Rating 5 out of 5]

"First lose yourself, then lose this loss..."

[Margot · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Ô échanson, nous sommes en attente sur le bord de l'océan du néant,
Saisis l'occasion, car il y a si peu du bord des lèvres à la bouche"
Hâfez de Chirâz, Ghazal 73


Il peut paraître étrange de débuter cette revue par une citation qui n'appartient pas à l'oeuvre immense de Farid ud-Din Attar, poète visionnaire (dans toutes les acceptions du mot), dont le nom de plume signifie en persan "apothicaire" ou "maître parfumeur", comme nous le rappelle Leili Anvar dans sa préface. Cela tient aux résonances qu'entretiennent entre eux les plus grands textes de la mystique persane et que je souhaitais mettre en lumière. La quête de l'être suprême, de l'entité divine que nul ne peut espérer atteindre, y constitue véritablement et inexorablement le coeur de cette aventure spirituelle.

Les métaphores abondent pour décrire cette quête, nourrie avant tout par un amour débordant qui fait éclater les limites étroites du monde terrestre, où tout n'est que ténèbres (ou ignorance/aveuglement) et où la vie intérieure s'étiole jusqu'à devenir exsangue. Il est sans cesse question de soif ardente, de désir inextinguible de rejoindre le Tout, de s'anéantir dans le feu de Simorgh. Mais le chemin est difficile et semé d'embûches. Seules les âmes pures, polies au miroir de l'amour, arriveront à destination. Car pour advenir, il faut cesser d'être. Il faut s'oublier, se donner tout entier à l'aimé, pour passer de l'être au non-être et donc à l'Être (pour paraphraser Diotime).

L'âme est un jardin planté de fleurs odorantes et aux couleurs flamboyantes. Celui-ci est confronté aux saisons arides de la vie, et ne peut que dépérir si le jardinier qui en a la garde n'en prend pas soin. Or celui-ci est tenté par l'appât du gain, le pouvoir, la gloire ; il est enivré par le nectar de l'amour et aveuglé par une foi qui se fourvoie. Il y a des pages absolument magnifiques, où l'écriture enfle comme une vague et nous emporte, voire nous transporte comme un rapt:

De ces narcisses enivrés, les cils étaient
Sur la route des sages de piquantes épines
Elle était un soleil, la Dame des beautés
Damant cent fois le pion à l'éclatante lune!
Ses lèvres, deux rubis, nourriture des esprits
Faisaient l'admiration, même du Saint-Esprit
Et quand elle riait, même l'eau de la vie
Mourante et assoiffée, voulait boire à ses lèvres
Regarder sa fossette, abîme en son menton
C'était tomber au fond du puits le plus profond

Les âmes prennent ici la forme de milliers d'oiseaux, placés sous la conduite de la huppe, animal salomonique par excellence (ce qui justifie le choix opéré par Leili Anvar dans la traduction du titre de l'ouvrage, en référence au Cantique des Cantiques). Effrayés, pétris de doutes ou aveuglés par leur outrecuidance, les oiseaux ne parviennent guère à prendre leur envol vers les sept vallées de l'accomplissement. Alors la huppe leur conte des histoires, à la manière d'une nouvelle Schéhérazade comme l'a si bien souligné Michael Barry, afin de leur prodiguer un enseignement spirituel mais surtout humain susceptible de les faire grandir. Seul trente oiseaux (si-morgh) se présenteront devant Simorgh. Trente âmes, polies comme un miroir, confrontées à elles-mêmes et à leur grandeur.

Cette oeuvre est d'une complexité admirable et je suis saisie de constater tous les parallèles qui peuvent exister entre les différentes religions du livre, et tout particulièrement entre christianisme et islam. L'ensemble est d'une poésie à couper le souffle, grâce à la sublime traduction de Leili Anvar dont l'immense culture et la sensibilité affleurent à chaque vers. C'est un voyage intérieur qui nous amène à porter un nouveau regard sur notre jardin intérieur, que nous entourons trop souvent de vulgaires barricades qui nous isolent de la beauté du monde et empêchent la lumière d'ensoleiller notre être. C'est peut-être là la plus grande force de ce texte, et de la littérature et de l'art en général, à savoir cette capacité à arracher le voile du quotidien tissé d'indifférence pour nous confronter à la grandeur de la vie, dont l'incommensurabilité est pareille à celle de l'océan. Alors satisfaisons la soif qui nous anime, et brûlons au feu de l'aimé (quelle que soit l'entité qui siège derrière ce paravent).

Il n'y a peut-être que les poètes, ces enfants de l'angoisse et des ténèbres devenus passeurs de rêves, qui soient à même de rendre compte de cet incendie qui illumine la nuit du monde. C'est la raison pour laquelle je m'en remets à l'un d'entre eux pour conclure ce bref commentaire. Que le silence gonfle et emplissent nos coeurs pour laisser advenir le verbe. Rage, enrage contre la mort de la lumière (Dylan Thomas).

[Maryam Hosseini · Rating 5 out of 5]

دید مجـنون را عـزیزی دردناک / کو میان رهـگذر می بیخت خاک
گفت ای مجنون چه می جویی چنین / گفت لیلی را هـمی جویم یقین
گفت لیـلی را کجا یابی ز خاک / کی بود در خاک شارع درّ پاک

گفت من می جویمش هر جا که هـست / بوک جایی یک دمـش آرم به دست
!وادی طلب

[Bidisha Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

the stiffness of Fitzgerald's translation made it difficult for me to experience the poem. I am sure it is a lovely translation but it makes me feel like a bird without flight, sorry not sorry for the intended bird joke.