The Conference of the Birds (Penguin Classics) Paperback – 29 Mar. 1984

I picked up this book after ending a 40-odd year quest to see a Hoopoe whilst on holiday in Qatar and being informed that there was a famous Islamic book where this bird was the central character. Whilst I was aware of this book, I had not made the connection with the Hoopoe and became really interested in reading it. Attar was a 12th century Sufi poet from Persia but , having been an enthusiastic reader of European, medieval literature in the 1990s, I would have to say was far more sophisticated than his Western contemporaries. The opening introduction to the poem is a hard read yet when Attar starts the main body of his work, it is surpringly easy to read. Many other versions of this poem omit this introduction as well as the epilogue and therefore this Penguin edition must be recommended as it is complete. I found the epilogue to be one of the highlights of the poem and maybe it's most "human" element and would not have wanted this to have been missed now that I am fully aware of the poem's form. On the plus side, as a birdwatching it is nice that the writer had a good understanding of birds. The "difficult" element of this poem largely stems from the fact that I have little familiarity with Islam and a fuller understanding would have been a help. The notes within this translation and the potted biography of characters mention in the text are indespensible which is another reason to buy the Penguin edition. All in all, I found this quite profound albeit there are some concepts that are hidden in the "parables" in the poem which I thought were elusive to this western reader. If there is a challenge, it is that some of the short stories are very similar and their meaning is no always easy to grasp. The conclusion of the bird's quest to find the mystical Simorgh bird was something I felt to be very satisfying.All in all, bird watchers will find this book appealing yet the overall impact for me was to make me very curious about Sufism. If anything, this is a good which I would recommend to followers of any religion or no religion at all and is quite profound. It very much transcends it's historical and geographical context and is perhaps a book that everyone should be aware of.

I really liked the rhyming couplet structure throughout the translation of this epic work. It brings across the didactic feeling of the poem while allowing you a sense of sing-song lyrical qualities of the poetry as well. In contrast to my expectations, it did not feel tiring to read several hundred of pages of rhyming couplets at all, as the text was structured so smoothly that it flowed like an easy-to-read narrative. There are helpful notes whenever specific references are made to Islamic lore that are unknown to a general reader, but these are thankfully extremely sparse, so they do not interrupt the experience of reading the poem.

Absolutely amazing book. I saw this in a list of books somewhere and was surprised by the premise but also that I have not heard of it before.I wasn't expecting it be written as it is, as a long poem, which at first makes it difficult to read. But once you get the rhythm of it and then get into the story it is amazing. There is so much symbolism and analogy within this book, Anyone who wants something quite unique and spiritual should look no further.

This was not what I expected - I was recommended this book as I study practical philosophy - it was very cleverly written and the poetry was so beautiful in parts and each one conveys a message.Recommended if you like anything written by Rami, Persian poet.

Fariduddin Attar was someone who truly understood the path to God and it shows in this book. For those on the path this book is perfect and will help clear things up for you. It has such a deep meaning and the beauty of it touches your heart. This is one of those books whereby no matter how many times you read it, you will still enjoy it.

This is an extraordinary literary piece written by the honourable Farid ad din Attar. It is a profound poetical work on the journey of the spiritual path and the excuses made with a response by the leader. I loved the book so much i brought it for several people.

This is an excellent translation of this poem. We used it as the text for a study group where we read the whole poem, and before we began we did some research into all the English versions currently available. We found this to be far and away the best, and it has the additional advantage of rendering the Persian into rhyming couplets like the original. There is some sacrifice of meaning in order to achieve this, but the result justifies it, as it is very easy to read, especially out loud, and many passages are beautiful, giving a real taste of Attar's poetic genius. The previous edition, published in 1984, omits some of the preface, but this edition includes all of it and so it is complete.

This is a very good book, The translator has managed to keep it in the same verse form as in the original, and that is quite an art.

i was hesitant to read a translation in rhymed verse, but was quite surprised by how well this work was done. The verses are a wonderful presentation of this mystical work by Attar.

Un hermoso recorrido por el pensamiento religioso y poético de los sufies, Me parece increíble el nivel de complejidad del pensamiento y lirismo que habían alcanzado los persas-iraníes en aquellos tiempos.Un libro maravilloso para conocer ciertos aspectos del corazón -core- de dicha cultura y período de la humanidad.

This is a good read for those who love ancient mysticism in poetry. I bought two as new year gifts. Yes, the print quality is in question, but who cares. content is important and the translation is good.

One of my favorite poetry. Amazing english translation.

Very very happy with this copy of the amazing text, The Conference of the Birds. Many thanks to the seller and I highly reccomend this book to anyone who seeks the transcendent.