منطقالطیر — شاهکار عارفانه عطار
Farid ud-Din Attar of Nishapur (c. 1145–1221) was one of the greatest Sufi poets and mystics. His Conference of the Birds (Mantiq al-Tayr, منطقالطیر) is considered the supreme achievement of Persian mystical poetry — a 4,600-verse allegorical poem that ranks among world literature's most profound spiritual texts.
The poem: all the birds of the world gather and decide to seek the legendary king Simurgh. They choose the Hoopoe (hudhud — Solomon's messenger in the Quran) as their guide. The journey passes through Seven Valleys: Quest, Love, Understanding, Independence, Unity, Amazement, and Annihilation — representing stages of Sufi spiritual development.
Of the thousands who set out, only 30 birds (si morgh) survive the journey. When they finally reach the Simurgh, they see only themselves reflected — the revelation being that 'si morgh' (30 birds in Persian) = Simorgh. The divine they sought was within them all along. This mystical insight — that the seeker and the sought are one — is the heart of Sufi philosophy.
The poem is an allegory of the Sufi spiritual journey: 30 birds seek the divine Simurgh through seven valleys of mystical experience. When they arrive, they discover that 'si morgh' (30 birds) = Simorgh — the divine is within themselves. The seeker and the sought are one.
Farid ud-Din Attar (c. 1145–1221) was a Persian Sufi poet and mystic from Nishapur. He wrote the Conference of the Birds and over 100,000 verses of mystical poetry. Rumi revered him as one of the greatest spiritual masters and said Attar was 'the spirit' while Rumi himself was merely 'the body.'