Dick Davis has breathed new life into his 1984 translation of the “The Canticle of the Birds” by Twelfth Century poet Farîd-ud-Dîn Attar.
The new publication has additional translations, re-worked passages and a sumptuous array of colourful illustrations from over 200 Persian, Central Asian, Turkish and Indo-Islamic paintings from the thirteenth to the eighteenth centuries – selected by the art historian and scholar of Iranian and Afghan civilisation, Michael Barry.
The Canticle of the Birds is a masterpiece of Persian literature and Sufi thought. The journey of the birds beyond the seven valleys to meet Simorgh, the Sunbird symbol of the Supreme Being, symbolises the voyage of every human soul. It is the poetic expression of a universal quest for love, truth and unity.
This book has been awarded both France’s Montherlant Prize for writing on art by the Académie des Beaux-Arts in 2013, and Iran’s Prize for Book of the Year on Persian Civilization in 2014.
Available from ACC Distribution.
In This Story: Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central and South Asia. Afghanistan is bordered by Pakistan to the east and south; Iran to the west; Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan to the north; and China to the northeast.
Occupying 652,000 square kilometers (252,000 sq mi), it is a mountainous country with plains in the north and southwest. Kabul is the capital and largest city. The population is around 32 million, composed mostly of ethnic Pashtuns, Tajiks, Hazaras, and Uzbeks.
Iran, also called Persia, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, is a country in Western Asia. Its central location in Eurasia and proximity to the Strait of Hormuz give it significant geostrategic importance. Tehran is the capital and largest city.
Iran is home to one of the world’s oldest civilizations, beginning with the formation of the Elamite kingdoms in the fourth millennium BC. The Iranian Revolution established the current Islamic Republic in 1979.
Iran’s political system combines elements of a presidential democracy and an Islamic theocracy. Iran is a founding member of the UN, ECO, OIC, and OPEC. It is a major regional and middle power and has large reserves of fossil fuels — including the world’s largest natural gas supply and the third largest proven oil reserves.
The country’s rich cultural legacy is reflected in part by its 22 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Historically a multi-ethnic country, Iran remains a pluralistic society comprising numerous ethnic, linguistic, and religious groups, the largest being Persians, Azeris, Kurds, Mazandaranis and Lurs.
