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Lot Essay
Mantiq al-Tayr is the greatest work of one of the earliest Persian mystic poets, 'Attar. It is a parable describing the spiritual journey of birds, all of which have human traits and failings. Under the leadership of a Hoopoe they journey to find the legendary Simurgh. The birds represent Sufi pilgrims and the Simurgh God, the 'truth'. Each time the birds seek to excuse themselves from their quest, the Hoopoe confronts them with further allegorical stories to encourage their perseverance. Eventually the thirty birds that stay find that the Simurgh is within themselves - si murgh in fact translates as 'thirty birds'.