Tracing the Origins of the 'Parrot's Advice' Story in Arabic and Persian Literary Sources

Kalantari, Maryam; Ibnorrasool, Sayyed Mohammad Reza

التّواصل الأدبي
Volume 15, Numéro 1, Pages 148-201
2026-01-01

Tracing The Origins Of The 'parrot's Advice' Story In Arabic And Persian Literary Sources

Authors : Kalantari Maryam . Ibnorrasool Sayyed Mohammad Reza .

Abstract

Allegory, as a form of didactic literature, not only teaches moral lessons and conveys sermons, but also reflects the literary heritage, culture, and civilization of past generations. One type of allegory is the fable, which consists of short stories in prose or verse featuring animal characters. The allegory of the "Talking Parrot," which has similar versions in both Persian and Arabic literature, is considered a fable. This present article provides a summary of the story and introduces its sources, then compares its similarities and differences in Arabic and Persian literature. By analysing narrative elements such as theme, characters, plot, and dialogue, the study identifies the oldest sources in both languages. One of the key findings of this research which is based on comparative study is the emphasis across all sources on a shared moral lesson: avoiding greed and not regretting what is lost. However, the structure of the story differs in Arabic and Persian sources. Additionally, the oldest known source of this story in Arabic literature is the book "Al-'Iqd al-Farid" written in the 10th century.