In both the *Elahi Nameh* and the *Mosibat Nameh*, Farid al-Din Attar utilizes the legendary Huma bird's shadow as a symbol of worldly fortune and status, contrasting it with true spiritual attainment. In the *Elahi Nameh*, a sheikh dismisses the Huma's shadow as unstable and valueless, emphasizing the impermanence of the material world. Similarly, in the *Mosibat Nameh*, Ayaz ignores the Huma's shadow, preferring the shadow of Sultan Mahmud, which represents exclusive devotion to the Divine. Comparing these allegories reveals Attar's consistent pedagogical approach: the seeker must recognize the transience of worldly rewards (the Huma's shadow) and reject them in favor of genuine spiritual proximity.

Comparison of the Huma Bird's Shadow Motif in Attar's Elahi Nameh and Mosibat Nameh

In Farid al-Din Attar's *Elahi Nameh*, the encounter between a wise sheikh and the legendary Huma bird serves as a Sufi allegory on the transience of worldly status and the illusion of fortune. The sheikh rebukes the Huma bird, arguing that its shadow has no lasting value due to its instability. The narrative emphasizes that the material world is a fleeting mirage or dream, and that spiritual progression requires realizing the impermanence of earthly glory.

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## Original content
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مگر می رفت شیخی کاردیده 
بره در دید طاقی برکشیده
همائی کرده از کج بر سر او 
بگسترده ز هم بال و پر او
زبان بگشاد و گفت ای مرغ ناساز 
تو بی شرمک بدینجا آمدی باز
بهر یک چند بگشائی پری تو 
نشینی پس بقصر دیگری تو
نیاید از تو کس را سایه داری 
که نا پایندگی سرمایه داری
اگر پایندگی بودی جهان را 
هویدائی نبودی عقل و جان را
همه دنیا سرابی می نماید 
جهانی ملک خوابی می نماید
خرت در گل ازان سخت اوفتادست 
که در تعبیر خر بخت اوفتادست
چو خر باشد کسی را بخت اینجا 
بلاشک کار باشد سخت اینجا
اگر غربال پندار خود از آب 
برآری عالمی بینی همه خواب

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## English translation
It happened that an experienced Sheikh was walking,
On the way, he saw a tall raised arch.
A Huma bird was perched askew upon it,
Having spread apart its wings and feathers.
He opened his mouth and said, 'O unharmonious bird!
You shameless creature, you have come here again.
Every once in a while you spread a wing,
Then you sit upon another's palace.
No one receives enduring shade from you,
For your very capital is impermanence.
If there were any permanence to the world,
Intellect and soul would never have become manifest.
The entire world appears as a mirage,
A world that seems like the realm of a dream.
Your donkey has fallen hard into the mud,
Because in interpretation, the donkey represents fortune.
When someone's fortune in this world is a donkey,
Undoubtedly, their affairs will be difficult here.
If you lift the sieve of your illusions out of the water,
You will see that the whole world is but a dream.'

(۲) حکایت شیخ و مرغ همای / (2) The Tale of the Sheikh and the Huma Bird

Root URL: https://ganjoor.net/
Source URL: https://ganjoor.net/

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