Through the story of the universal tree, representing the complete human being, and the four birds, representing the four essential aspects of existence, Ibn 'Arabi explains his teaching on the nature and meaning of union with God. Providing an excellent initiation into the often complex works of Ibn 'Arabi, this brief, delightful tale is the first English translation of an important, early work, complete with Arabic text, commentary, and notes.

Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi was a spiritual teacher within Sufism, the mystical tradition of Islam. He wrote at least 300 works, ranging from minor treatises to the 37-volume Meccan Illuminations (al-Futuhat al-Makkiyya) and the quintessence of his teachings, The Bezels of Wisdom (Fusus al-hikam). Angela Jaffray is an independent researcher and translator whose translations of Federico García Lorca's "Sonetos del Amor Oscuro" were published in Collected Poems of Federico García Lorca. She lives in Chicago.