Conference Of The Birds, The

'Conference Of The Birds' is one of the great works of world literature. In this new reissue of C. S. Nott's classic prose translation, this epic poem explores the nature of the spiritual path through an allegory of the brave birds who go in search of their king through the valleys of exultation and despair that represent the stages of the seeker as he travels toward enlightenment. Interspersed throughout their journey are timeless tales of prophets and kings, saints and sinners, lovers and scoundrels. Farid ud-Din Attar was the predecessor of the great Persian Sufi poet Jalalludin Rumi. They are reputed to have met when Rumi was a boy. Rumi obviously found much inspiration in Attar and uses the same technique of weaving wisdom within entertaining and amusing tales.