ATTAR
A Guide For The Soul
Attar traveled the seven cities of love, while I’m still at the bend of the first alley.
–Rumi
Everything, large and small, honors your existence. Don’t look at yourself with contempt. There is nothing greater than you.
— Attar
Born in 1145, Persian Sufi mystic poet Attar of Nishapur (Faridoddin فریدالدین) is one of the most celebrated figures in Sufi literature, revered for his profound exploration of spirituality and human emotion. His poetry, a luminous reimagining of the mystical path, weaves together themes of divine love, self-discovery, and the connection between the earthly and the transcendent. Attar’s verses are not mere words—they are a mirror to the soul, inviting readers to awaken from the illusion of self and step into the fire of spiritual transformation. His influence shaped iconic poets like Rumi, who called him a master of wisdom and mysticism.
About the translator:
Sholeh Wolpé is a poet, writer, and librettist. She was born in Iran, writes in English, translates from Persian and lives in Los Angeles and Barcelona. Her body of work spans seven collections of poetry, several plays, five books of translations and three anthologies, as well as texts and librettos for the choir and opera.
She is the Writer-In-Residence at the University of California, Irvine.
“Twelfth-century Persian and contemporary English are as different as sky and sea. The best I can do as a poet is to reflect one into the another. The sea can reflect the sky with its moving stars, shifting clouds, gestations of the moon, and migrating birds—but ultimately the sea is not the sky. By nature, it is liquid. It ripples. There are waves. If you are a fish living in the sea, you can only understand the sky if its reflection becomes part of the water. Therefore, these translations, while faithful to the original text, aim at their re-creation into a still living and breathing works of literature.”
–Sholeh Wolpé
On the Broad Stage
Watch Sholeh Wolpé speak about the story of The Conference of the Birds in context of the opera about to be performed.Resonance Collective.
What they say:
“Award-winning translator Sholeh Wolpé recaptures the beauty and lyricism of one of Persian literature’s most celebrated masterpieces. “— Reza Aslan, Author of No God But God
“Sholeh Wolpe, herself a passionate poet, transports us to another time, another language & another world, while reminding us of how enduring & universal great works of imagination are, how they create spaces within which we not only acknowledge and appreciate our differences but also recognize & celebrate our shared humanity. Only a true poet could achieve such a feat.” — Azar Nafisi, author of Reading Lolita in Tehran
“Sholeh Wolpé’s stunning new translation—the first in over 30 years—renders Attar’s engaging, singular voice with wit and flourish.” — Literary Hub
“The Conference of the Birds has fascinated writers from Rumi to Borges, and Wolpé’s translation strives to make Attar’s unorthodox and mystical vision accessible to contemporary Western readers.” — Guernica
“Sholeh Wolpé takes audiences on a journey through the soul’s search for meaning as she rediscovers the light of Attar, considered by Rumi to be the master of Sufi mystic poetry.” — Poets House, New York
“In this new lyrical translation, Sholeh Wolpé uses her incredible skill as both poet and translator to bring Attar’s spiritual masterpiece into accessible English. As close to the original a reader can come in translation, and imbued with the same kind of revelation, it makes clear why Attar remained such a strong influence on Rumi. The reader travels, along with the poet’s birds, to greater spiritual insight through transcendent verse.” — Roger Sedarat, Poet
Interviews and Essays:
Storizen: In this illuminating conversation with Storizen, acclaimed poet and translator Sholeh opens a window into the making of The Invisible Sun, her transformative new rendering of Attar’s Sufi masterpiece. With her signature clarity and lyrical insight, Sholeh reflects on what first drew her to Attar’s mystical world, how she navigates the spiritual and linguistic subtleties of Persian poetry, and why these centuries-old teachings feel uncannily urgent today. From the challenge of translating a genderless spiritual lexicon into English to her mission of preserving Attar’s radical inclusiveness, she reveals how this work reshaped not only her craft but her way of seeing. In an age of distraction and digital noise, Sholeh’s voice reminds us why poets like Attar and Rumi still matter—offering readers a steady, luminous path back to meaning.
TERRAIN.org : The Invisible Sun: Mystic Wisdom for a Planet in Crisis
