In Attar's 'The Conference of the Birds', the peacock represents the seeker who is obsessed with the memory of lost paradise (heavenly rewards) rather than seeking the ultimate divine source (the Simorgh). Having been cast out of paradise due to its association with the serpent, the peacock's spiritual ambition is limited to regaining its former status. Through this figure, Attar critiques those who prioritize the rewards of the afterlife (paradise) over direct union with the Divine.

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## Original content
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بعد از آن طاووس آمد زرنگار 
نقش پرش صد چه؟ بلکه صد هزار
چون عروسی جلوه کردن ساز کرد 
هر پر او جلوه ای آغاز کرد
گفت: تا نقاش غیبم نقش بست 
چینیان را شد قلم انگشت دست
گر چه من جبریل مرغانم ولیک 
رفت بر من از قضا کاری نه نیک
یار شد با من به یک جا مار زشت 
تا بیفتادم به خواری از بهشت
چون بدل کردند خلوت جای من 
تخت بند پای من شد بای من
عزم آن دارم کزین تاریک جای 
رهبری باشد به خلدم رهنمای
من نه آن مردم که در سلطان رسم 
بس بود اینم که در دروان رسم
کی بود سیمرغ را پروای من؟ 
بس بود فردوس عالی جای من
من ندارم در جهان کاری دگر 
تا بهشتم ره دهد باری دگر
هدهدش گفت: ای ز خود گم کرده راه! 
هر که خواهد خانه ای از پادشاه
گوی نزدیکی او، این زآن به است؟ 
خانه ای، از حضرت سلطان به است؟
خانهٔ نفس است خلد پر هوس 
خانهٔ دل مقعد صدق است و بس
حضرت حق هست دریای عظیم 
قطرهٔ خرد است جنات النعیم
قطره باشد هر که را دریا بود 
هر چه جز دریا بود، سودا بود
چون به دریا می توانی راه یافت 
سوی یک شبنم چرا باید شتافت؟
هر که داند گفت با خورشید راز 
کی تواند ماند از یک ذره باز؟
هر که کل شد، جزو را با او چه کار؟ 
وآن که جان شد، عضو را با او چه کار؟
گر تو هستی مرد کلی، کل ببین 
کل طلب، کل باش، کل شو، کل گزین

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## English translation
After that came the golden peacock,
The patterns on his feathers not a hundred, but a hundred thousand.
When like a bride he began to display himself,
Every feather of his began a manifestation.
He said: 'Since the Unseen Painter painted my pattern,
The brush became the finger of the Chinese.
Although I am the Gabriel of the birds, yet
By fate a deed befell me that was not good.
The ugly snake became my companion in one place,
Until I fell in disgrace from Paradise.
When they changed my place of seclusion,
My foot became the block for my feet.
I have the resolve that from this dark place,
A guide may lead me to my eternal home.
I am not the man to reach the King,
It is enough for me to reach the court.
When would the Simorgh have any concern for me?
The highest Paradise is enough as my place.
I have no other business in the world,
But that He grants me passage to Paradise once more.'
The hoopoe said to him: 'O you who have lost the way from yourself!
Whoever wants a house from the King,
Say, is His nearness not better than that?
Is a house better than the presence of the Sultan?
The house of the ego is the Paradise full of lust,
The house of the heart is the seat of truth and nothing else.
The presence of the Truth is a mighty ocean,
The Gardens of Delight are but a small drop.
It is a drop for whoever possesses the ocean,
Whatever is besides the ocean is an illusion.
When you can find a way to the ocean,
Why should you hasten toward a dewdrop?
Whoever knows how to tell a secret to the sun,
How can he remain held back by a single atom?
Whoever became the whole, what business has he with the part?
And he who became the soul, what business has he with the member?
If you are a man of the whole, see the whole,
Seek the whole, be the whole, become the whole, choose the whole.'

حکایت طاووس / The Tale of the Peacock

In 'The Conference of the Birds', the Hoopoe (هدهد) serves as the 'hadi' (guide) and the 'messenger of every valley'. This node explains how the Hoopoe functions as the necessary spiritual intermediary between the seeking birds and the Simorgh, symbolizing the Sufi 'Pir' or 'Murshid' who possesses the 'logic of the birds' (Mantiq al-Tayr) and the 'secret of Solomon'. Understanding the Hoopoe's authority is a prerequisite for interpreting the specific birds' excuses and their subsequent journey.

The Role of the Hoopoe as the Spiritual Guide in Attar's Allegory

In 'The Conference of the Birds', the 'Question of the Birds' introduces the collective hesitation of the flock. Before individual birds offer specific justifications, this section establishes the concept that these excuses (ozr) stem from 'ignorance' (jehl) and 'lack of news' (bi-khabar). It serves as a structural transition from the initial assembly to the specific narrative rebuttals, framing the upcoming excuses as spiritual obstacles that reflect a lack of 'capacity' (howseleh) and 'courage' (tab) to face the Simorgh.

The Nature of Excuses in the Quest for the Simorgh

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

This Reference node represents the source used by the Literature-to-1Cademy migration agent.

Ganjoor

The Symbolism of the Peacock and the Yearning for Paradise in Attar's Allegory

In Farid al-Din Attar's *The Conference of the Birds*, the parrot represents the seeker who is obsessed with achieving personal immortality and spiritual longevity, symbolized by the search for the Water of Life (آب خضر). The parrot rejects the challenging journey to the Simorgh, claiming that obtaining a drop from the spring of Khidr is sufficient. The Hoopoe refutes this, explaining that seeking eternal individual survival is a limitation of the ego. True spiritual completion requires *fana* (self-annihilation) in the Divine, rather than preserving the self through the Water of Life.

The Symbolism of the Parrot and the Search for the Water of Life in Attar's Allegory

In Farid al-Din Attar's *The Conference of the Birds*, the heron (Bootimar) represents the seeker whose spiritual progress is halted by an obsessive, anxious attachment to a worldly or limited source of emotional or spiritual satisfaction, symbolized by the sea. The heron sits on the shore, thirsty but refusing to drink out of a possessive fear of depleting the water. The Hoopoe refutes this stance, explaining that the sea is not the ultimate destination and that true love requires moving beyond such limiting attachments to seek the Simorgh (the Divine).

The Symbolism of the Heron and the Attachment to the Sea in Attar's Allegory

In Farid al-Din Attar's *The Conference of the Birds*, the owl represents the seeker who is obsessed with material wealth, symbolized by its preference for ruins (which are traditionally believed to contain hidden treasures in Persian folklore). The owl refuses to join the journey to the Simorgh, claiming that love for the Simorgh is a mere fable and that its own search for the hidden treasure in the ruins is sufficient. The Hoopoe refutes this by explaining that attachment to earthly gold is a spiritual trap that degrades the human soul, as illustrated by the subsequent tale of the man whose love of gold turned his soul into a mouse after death.

The Symbolism of the Owl and the Obsession with Treasure in Attar's Allegory

In Attar's 'The Conference of the Birds', the wagtail represents false humility and self-deprecation. By pleading its extreme weakness, tiny size, and lack of power, the wagtail attempts to excuse itself from the challenging journey to the Simorgh. This allegory teaches that focusing excessively on one's own limitations and insignificance is a subtle form of egoism and spiritual complacency that prevents the seeker from embarking on the path to divine realization.

The Symbolism of the Wagtail in Attar's Allegory

The 'Excuses of the Birds' (عذر مرغان) is a major section within Farid al-Din Attar's epic poem The Conference of the Birds. In this part of the narrative, various birds step forward to present their reasons, fears, and worldly attachments as excuses for not embarking on the difficult spiritual journey to find the Simurgh. The Hoopoe (Hudhud), acting as their wise spiritual guide, refutes each excuse by reciting illuminating parables and didactic tales. Many of these tales feature 'madmen' (divanegan) or wandering ascetics who, despite their apparent worldly insanity, possess profound spiritual insight and divine love.

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