Poems & Poets

This poem is authored by Abu Hamīd Ibn-e Abu-Bakr Ebrāhīm (Persian: ابو حامد بن ابوبکر ابراهیم‎‎; b. ~1145; d. ~1221), also known as Farīd-od-dīn (فرید الدین) and ʿAttār (عطار, meaning apothecary, chemist or herbalist). 'Attar was a 12/13th-century Persian poetry and prose writer, hagiographer and Sufi mystic originally from Nishapur, Khorasan in Greater Iran. He had a momentous influence on the tassavof tradition in the Persianate world. His most distinguished work is the Manteq-ut-Teyr, The Conference of the Birds. He is also one of the major influences on Mawlana. He passed away in his hometown when facing the gruesome Mongol invasion of Khorasan.

This ghazal is a love-poem dedicated to God, Glorified and Exalted is He. 'Attar expresses his longing to meet his lord. He ruminates about the hidden realities of gnosis, explaining them in riddles. This is one of many examples of 'Attar's mysterious poems that require the listener to ponder deeply in order to grasp its meaning.

Reference: 'Attar – Divan-e-Ash'ar – Ghazal 343