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Muslim / Sufi
12th Century

About Farid ud-Din Attar

Timeline (1120? - 1220?)

Farid ud-Din Attar, Farid ud-Din Attar poetry, Muslim / Sufi, Muslim / Sufi poetry,  poetry, [TRADITION SUB2] poetry,  poetry

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English version by
Raficq Abdulla

Original Language
Persian/Farsi

God Speaks to David

Themes
  Dawn
  Fire
  Heart
  Light
  Marriage

 

Recommended Books

The Conference of the Birds, Translated by Afkham Darbandi / Translated by Dick Davis
Conference of the Birds: A Seeker's Journey to God, Translated by Rustom Pestonji Masani
The Conference of the Birds: The Selected Sufi Poetry of Farid ud-Din Attar, Translated by Raficq Abdulla
The Drunken Universe: An Anthology of Persian Sufi Poetry, Translated by Peter Lamborn Wilson / Translated by Nasrollah Pourjavady
The Hand of Poetry: Five Mystic Poets of Persia, with Lectures by Inayat Khan, Translated by Coleman Barks

More >>

David was an open vessel, the light
Poured into him. God's words took flight
In him and through him God said:
'To all humankind, who are wed
To hubris and sin, I say: "If heaven and hell
Did not exist to catch you and break you,
Would you, though a speck of dust, tell
Truth from falsehood, would your eye find true
Centre in my words? If there was nothing but dark
Would you think of me, still less mark
Your place with the leaf of prayer? Yet
You are bound to my will, your soul is set
In the direction of my breath, with hope
And fear which cracks the dawn of your heart,
So you will worship me with all your mind
Words and inclination. Make a start:
Burn to ashes all that is not I, bind
The ashes to the fidelity of the wind,
Extract the ore of your being,
Then you shall start seeing."'

 

 

-- from The Conference of the Birds: The Selected Sufi Poetry of Farid ud-Din Attar, Translated by Raficq Abdulla

Amazon.com

 

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Ivan M. Granger's original poetry, stories and commentaries are Copyright © 2002 - 2008 by Ivan M. Granger.
All other material is copyrighted by the respective authors, translators and/or publishers.