Attar Nishapuri – English Translations

A dervish in ecstasy A frenzied dervish, mad with love for God, Sought out bare hills where none had ever trod. Wild leopards kept this…

NOTHING I know nothing, I understand nothing, I am unaware of myself. I am in love, but with whom I do not know. My heart…

The pilgrim sees no form but His and knows The pilgrim sees no form but His and knows That He subsists beneath all passing shows…

A slave’s freedom Loghman of Sarrakhs cried: “Dear God, behold Your faithful servant, poor, bewildered, old– An old slave is permitted to go free; I’ve…

Looking for your own face English version by Coleman Barks Your face is neither infinite nor ephemeral. You can never see your own face, only…

The Pupil asks; the Master answers ‘Why was Adam driven from the garden?’ The pupil asked his master. ‘His heart was hardened With images, a…

BE WHOLE Be whole in desire and journey to the Whole.

Mysticism English version by Coleman Barks The sun can only be seen by the light of the sun. The more a man or woman knows,…

THE SECRET OF YOUR EXISTENCE Strive to discover the mystery before life is taken from you. If while living you fail to find yourself, to…

DON’T BE ANYTHING Don’t be dead or asleep or awake. Don’t be anything.

PAIN AND MEDICINE The pain of love became the medicine for every heart, The difficulty could never be solved without love.

The Vain Bird ‘You see I am vanity personified, Iblis watches over me night and day Thus I’m prescribed by him without a guide. I…

God Speaks to David David was an open vessel, the light Poured into him. God’s words took flight In him and through him God said:…

SLANDER IN THE HEART A man rose up where Junaid (Junaid al-Baghdadi) was preaching and began to beg. “This man is perfectly healthy,” thought Junaid….

The Simurgh Ah, the Simurgh, who is this wondrous being Who, one fated night, when time stood still, Flew over China, not a single soul…

FOR ALL IS GOD And as His Essence all the world pervades Naught in Creation is, save this alone. Upon the waters has He fixed…

SEPARATION FROM BELOVED Those who have not been separated from their Beloved will not understand my night without my love. Without my Beloved I was…

WE WILL NOT LIVE LONG Sleep with the remembrance of death, and rise with the thought that you will not live long. – Awais al-Qarni…

God Speaks to Moses One day God spoke to Moses and said: ‘Visit Satan, question him, use your head.’ So Moses descended to Hell’s burning…

The Dullard Sage Lost in myself I reappeared I know not where a drop that rose from the sea and fell and dissolved again; a…

WAS THE DOOR EVER CLOSED Your own heart is the living place of the Universe’s essence. Salih rahimahu Llah always told his students, If you…

GIVE YOUR LIFE TO THE WAY If you can step outside the stage we know, The dark confusions of our life below, And reach man’s…

The Birds Find Their King Once more they ventured from the Dust to raise Their Eyes — up to the Throne — into the Blaze,…

WE WILL NOT BE FREE IF So long as we do not die to ourselves, and so long as we identify with someone or something,…

Bird Parliament by Edward FitzGerald Once on a time from all the Circles seven 1 Between the stedfast Earth and rolling Heaven THE BIRDS, of…

The Eternal Mirror Not You but I, have seen and been and wrought. . . . Who in your Fraction of Myself behold Myself within…

YOUR HEART Plunge into the ocean of your heart, For there you’ll find the universe.

I shall grasp the soul’s skirt with my hand English version by Bernard Lewis I shall grasp the soul’s skirt with my hand and stamp…

The angels have bowed down to you and drowned The angels have bowed down to you and drowned Your soul in Being, past all plummet’s…

WHEN ONE IS BEING IGNORANT A certain young man was always speaking against Sufis. One day, Dhu Nun took the ring from his finger and…

I Know Nothing I know nothing and comprehend nothing. I am unaware of my own state. I am in love, but with who I don’t…

The Hawk He was a soldier with a soldier’s pride, This hawk, whose home was by a king’s side. He was haughty as his master,…

The Valley of the Quest When you begin the Valley of the Quest Misfortunes will deprive you of all rest, Each moment some new trouble…

How long then will you seek for beauty here Seek the unseen, and beauty will appear. When the last veil is lifted neither men Nor…

The Nightingale The nightingale raises his head, drugged with passion, Pouring the oil of earthly love in such a fashion That the other birds shaded…

I WILL BE ALONE WITH HIM “I shall grasp the soul’s skirt with my hand and stamp on the world’s head with my foot. I…

The Lover ‘A lover’, said the hoopoe, now their guide, ‘Is one in whom all thoughts of self have died; Those who renounce the self…

A SHORELESS SEA The home we seek is in eternity; The Truth we seek is like a shoreless sea, Of which your paradise is but…

Invocation We are busy with the luxury of things. Their number and multiple faces bring To us confusion we call knowledge. Say: God created the…

The moths and the flame Moths gathered in a fluttering throng one night To learn the truth about the candle light, And they decided one…

All who, reflecting as reflected see All who, reflecting as reflected see Themselves in Me, and Me in them; not Me, But all of Me…

Look — I do nothing; He performs all deeds Look — I do nothing; He performs all deeds And He endures the pain when my…

THE PAIN WHO GIVE US A REASON TO LIVE AND LOVE Whoever received an atom of this pain of Love For him both yesterday and…

Biography Of Farid ud-Din Attar Farid ud-Din Attar was born in Nishapur, in what is today north-east Iran. There is disagreement over the exact dates…

LOVE’S ARROW Make your soul the target of love’s arrow flying from the bow of the Beloved’s hand. Let it pass through your soul. Don’t…

The peacock’s excuse Next came the peacock, splendidly arrayed In many-coloured pomp; this he displayed As if he were some proud, self-conscious bride Turning with…