About “The Conference of the Birds”

The Conference of the Birds is a Persian poem written by the Sufi poet Farid ud-Din Attar, also known as Attar of Nishapur. The work is composed in the mathnawi form, a style of poetry that uses rhyming couplets. The title is derived from the Qur’an, specifically verse 27:16, which mentions that Sulayman and Dāwud were taught the language of the birds. The poem reflects themes of spiritual seeking and the journey toward divine truth, as told through the story of birds seeking their king. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.)

Praise for “The Conference of the Birds”

“This felicitous translation is a classic and reaches the widest possible audience.”

— David Azzolina, Assistant Professor, University of Pennsylvania

Book details

Latest edition
1984 · ISBN 9780140444346
ISBN
9780140444346

Frequently asked questions

How many pages is The Conference of the Birds?

The Conference of the Birds by Farid Al-Din Attar has 234 pages.

Some summaries adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Book descriptions, author biographies, award records and review quotes on this page are courtesy of Penguin Random House.