04/01/2026
Get • In Attar’s “The Conference of the Birds,” the search for a king becomes a search for meaning, guidance, and ultimately the self.
The birds assemble to select a king so that they can live more harmoniously. Among them, the hoopoe—who was the ambassador sent by Sulaiman to the Queen of Sheba—points them toward the Simurgh, a mythical bird said to dwell beyond Mount Qaf. As the birds hesitate and make excuses, the hoopoe responds with stories and counsel, persuading them to undertake the journey.
They strive to cross seven valleys—quest, love, gnosis, contentment, unity, wonder, and poverty. In the end, only thirty birds reach the Simurgh’s abode, where each sees their own reflection in the celestial bird.
In this allegory of the Sufi path, the birds are the seekers, the hoopoe the spiritual guide, the journey the path to God, and the Simurgh the Divine—revealing that the seeker and the Sought are one.
Image: Painting by Habiballah of Sava (Iranian,1590–1610), The Metropolitan Museum of Art
