Richly illustrated with illuminations from Persian manuscripts in the British Library, this is the only modern illustrated edition of The Conference of the Birds. Through his reworking of these important passages and his detailed introduction to the poem, Raficq Abdulla allows readers access to a mystical classic.

Written in 1177, 'The Conference of Birds' is a Muslim mystical allegory dealing with the struggles and ordeals a soul must face to achieve enlightenment. One thousand birds assemble to hear the Hoopoe bird (a spiritual master) who describes how they must seek the Simurgh, their true King. Many give excuses: they are happy with love or treasure, or fame, or any number of other worldly delights, and do not see the need for an arduous adventure in search of a semi-mythical sovereign. But the journey begins, leading the avian pilgrims through seven valleys where the travelers confront their own individual limitations and fears. Only 30 birds complete the journey, and discover that they themselves are the Simurgh they have sought. As with all truly mystical literature, 'The Conference of Birds' teaches that the aim of the quest is the discovery of the Divine within.

'Mantiqu't-Tair' is one of the masterpieces of Persian literature of which a complete and annotated translation into English is here presented for the first time as 'The Speech of the Birds'. The text revolves around the decision of the birds of the world to seek out a king. Their debilitating doubts and fears, the knowing counsel of their leader Hoopoe, and their choice of the Simurgh as a king, is in reality an allegory of the spiritual path of Sufism with its demands, its hazards and its infinite rewards. The poem contains many admonitory anecdotes and exemplary stories, including numerous references to some of the early Muslim mystics such as Rabi'a al-'Adawiyya, Abu Sa'id ibn Abi'l-Khair, Mansur al-Hallaj and Shibli, among others. In 'The Speech of the Birds', Peter Avery has not only given us a precise and moving translation, but also ample annotation providing much information to fill in what Attar would have expected his readers to know. The result is a fascinating insight into a remarkable aspect of Islam: the world of ecstatic love of the Persian mystics. 'The Speech of the Birds' will be of interest to everyone who values great literature, as well as to all students of Persian and Sufism.