Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

Preview

£0.00 for first 30 days

Thousands of incredible audiobooks and podcasts to take wherever you go.
Immerse yourself in a world of storytelling with the Plus Catalogue - unlimited listening to thousands of select audiobooks, podcasts and Audible Originals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

The Conference of the Birds

By: Attar, Sholeh Wolpé - Translated by
Narrated by: Fajer Al-Kaisi
Try for £0.00

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Summary

"These lofty words are an antidote / for anyone sickened by extremism's poison."

Considered by Rumi to be "the master" of Sufi mystic poetry, Attar is best known for this epic poem, a magnificent allegorical tale about the soul's search for meaning. He recounts the perilous journey of the world's birds to the faraway peaks of Mount Qaf in search of the mysterious Simorgh, their king. Attar's beguiling anecdotes and humor intermingle the sublime with the mundane, the spiritual with the worldly, while his poem models the soul's escape from the mind's rational embrace.

Sholeh Wolpe recreates for modern audiences the beauty and timeless wisdom of the original Persian, in contemporary English verse and poetic prose.

©2017 Sholeh Wolpé (P)2021 Tantor
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Listeners also enjoyed...

Conference of the Birds cover art
Living Presence (Revised) cover art
Layli and Majnun cover art
Secrets of Divine Love cover art
Shahnameh cover art
The Alchemy of Happiness cover art
The Knowing Heart cover art
Faces of Love cover art
From Darkness Into Light cover art
Vis and Ramin cover art
The Weird and the Eerie cover art
Tales of the Dervishes cover art
If the Oceans Were Ink cover art
Fifth Gospel - A Novel (Rosicrucian Quintet) cover art
A Kahlil Gibran Collection cover art
The Sufis cover art

What listeners say about The Conference of the Birds

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    4
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    5
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    4
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

an extraordinary work

I got this book after an encounter with a hoepoo bird and I found it amazing

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Excellent performance

I didn't like the content much.

Amazing to have this translation and reading - much appreciated.

As a Buddhist I found the repetitive hyperbole of the poetry unengaging.

I assume that a better appreciation of Sufi love and it's metaphorical meanings is necessary to get the most out of this book. I don't have that.

Also, while the poetry is readily understandable and accessible (a major achievement), the translation lacks virtually any rhyme, and I presume that at least half of the magic of the original language is lost.

Nevertheless an interesting, relaxing, escapist listen.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A very special book that I will return to

I found this book to be full of meaning and wisdom at multiple levels, and succeeded in communicating at day level beyond thewords themselves. I found it a really enjoyable listen too, but also a book that feels special, and parts of it kept going through my mind.
It’s one I expect I will listen to again and again, and will get more from it every time.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!