The Inspiration of Birds
With this bright new year of 2020, I’m sharing a few literary/artistic picks (two books and one music album) that were recently inspired by Conference of the Birds (منطق الطير), the allegorical poem by Farid al-Din Attar (lived in Nishapur c. 1145-c. 1221, in northeastern Iran).
“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.” – from Goodreads description here
A journey toward guidance
Bird Summons, latest novel by Leila Aboulela, tells the tale of three women who set out on a journey together in Scotland. “On a remote hillside in Inverness, each woman is visited by the Hoopoe, a sacred bird who comes with fables from Muslim literature and Celtic folklore, forcing the women to question how much they have sacrificed in the name of love.
Bird Summons is a haunting, fiercely compelling story of loyalties torn apart when love and religion, faith and culture collide – confirming Leila Aboulela as a leading storyteller of our times.” (from the Goodreads description)
This book is on my to-read list for 2020!
unity across social divisions, strength from togetherness, the search for courage in the face of adversity, and the breathtaking beauty that is present in this world
The Bird King draws on several literary traditions. First, it is a historical novel set in medieval Spain, during the period in which the Castilians overthrew the Muslim kingdom of Andalucia. In 1492, the last Muslim ruler was forced to surrender Granada to Ferdinand and Isabella. This is also the time of the Spanish Inquisition, which Ferdinand and Isabella established in 1478. G. Willow Wilson draws on this history to create characters of varying religious identities, ethnicities, genders, and social status. Reimagining the past, she tells a story for today. My complete review is here.
For tunes of relaxation and beauty, check out this album here.
“The Confidence of Birds” is Zena’s debut album inspired by the the Sufi poem “The Conference of the Birds” written by the Persian poet Attar of Nishapur, which details the mythic journey of birds in search of enlightenment. Funded by a grant from The Center for Cultural Innovation in San Francisco, the album was penned by Zena on Kora and Ùkelele and features original string trio and string quintet arrangements from Bay Area composers Minna Choi (founder, Magik Magik Orchestra), Omid Zoufonoun (Principal Conductor, Oakland Symphony Youth Orchestra), Bassist Shuyler Karr (San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra) and Cellist Misha Khalikulov (Rupa and the April Fishes, String Quake).