Majnun retreats to the wilderness, surrounded by wild animals, as his love poetry becomes known far and wide. From Jedda to Isfahan, Baku to New Delhi and beyond, Layla and Majnun has been reinterpreted over the centuries through epic poems, paintings, dramas, movies, ballets, operas, pop songs, and television shows. He had already given his heart to Layla before he understood what he was giving away. "Layla" is a song written by Eric Clapton and Jim Gordon, originally released by their blues rock band Derek and the Dominos, as the thirteenth track from their only studio album, Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs (November 1970). Nizami Ganjavi’s influential poem, written in the 12 th century, is believed to be the first literary processing of the Layla and Majnun story. Layla, being forced to marry, dies cause of love for Qays, being buried in a wedding dress. But as Layla’s beauty grows, and Qays’s devotion becomes more extreme, he becomes known as “Majnun”—literally “possessed by djinns.” Majnun wanders the desert, composing poetry for his beloved. He got a translation of Layla and Majnun by Persian poet Nizami (1141-1209), read it — and was instantly hooked. [1][2] This poem is included in "Khamsa" and was written in 1188 in Persian. Most people can relate to the feeling of madness and obsession that love can inspire, even if their own lives are more prosaic. Morris has made an unusual decision to parcel out the roles of Layla and Majnun to four pairs of dancers, thereby universalizing the experience of the lovers. Layla and Majnun is a cultural touchstone in South Asia, where the very names of the legendary lovers are conjoined, “Laila-Majnu,” and “Majnun” is used as a description of someone hopelessly in love. Hers is the masterful recap of a distinctive, legendary tale of unrequited love. From its earliest incarnations, Layla and Majnun has provided a supple narrative template that can be easily embroidered to suit local tastes. Individual authors or rights holders retain all other rights. The Story of Layla and Majnun passed into Azerbaijani literature. [8] It was published in 1836. Required fields are marked *, © 2021 South Writ Large and individual contributors. It was also of interest to me because my most favorite oriental rugs were from Azerbaijan, I had a Persian boyfriend for a number of years, and I have enjoyed reading the book written by this author’s mother, Judith Ernst, which is entitled Song of Songs. This piece, by Sophie Ernst, moves into the same ineffable realm as the performance itself: teasing experience on the edge of language, we enter into a world where fire/love hushes all who see it, are drawn into it, and are consumed, smiling, by its flames. It was about a young couple named Qays and Layla who fell in love with each other but whose relationship was forbidden by … Layla, darling won’t you ease my worried mind.”. Nizami drew upon various oral anecdotes reported in earlier Arabic sources to develop a multi-layered story which he wrote in a rhyming couplet masnawi form. The temptation is too great, the desire too strong, the outcome always inevitable. The poem is dedicated to Shirvanshah Ahsitan I, and was written on his order. Many years later, Majnun’s father and mother both passed away. The production has several U.S. engagements in March 2018 and then will tour to Australia and London for its final performances. The album’s mega-hit single, Layla, was said to have been written for Boyd. . His father tries to intervene and arrange a marriage with Layla’s tribe, but her family has heard too much about Majnun’s erratic behavior. The Story of Layla and Majnun, by Nizami. The dancers are expressive, but the movement leads them, providing a structure for their emotion. The 12th-century poem was based on an Arabian … For instance, Aga Mirek,[13] Mir Seid Ali, Muzaffar Ali created such miniatures. But even though Layla did not love her husband, she was a loyal daughter and so remained a faithful wife. [14][15], Azerbaijani composer Gara Garayev wrote a symphonic poem, Layla and Majnun, first performed in Baku in September 29, 1947 at the solemn evening in honor of the 800th anniversary of Nizami Ganjavi, and the one-act ballet Leyli and Majnun based on the poem. This motif is evident in Eric Clapton’s song, “Layla,” which he wrote in 1970, reportedly after falling in love with Pattie Boyd Harrison, the wife of his good friend, George Harrison. The marriage ended unhappily in divorce in 1988. Majnun’s father takes him on a pilgrimage to Mecca to try to get him back on track, but Majnun prays only for his love to become stronger. . Nizami slightly modified the plot: Qays goes crazy with love, and that's why Layla's parents reject him. He was found dead near her grave, his three final verses of poetry carved on a rock nearby. A friend had given Clapton a translation of Nizami’s poem, and he saw the parallels between the story and his own hopeless love: “Layla, you’ve got me on my knees. Eric Clapton read this poem and thought of his unrequited, doomed love for Patty Boyd, the wife of George Harrison. [5], The poet Qays[1] fell in love with his cousin Layla, but Layla had to marry another man: Qays went insane and retired to the desert, where he composed poems dedicated to the beloved Layla. The result was a 70-minute dance drama that premiered in 2016 in Berkeley, California, toured to several U.S. cities in 2016 and 2017, and had its New York premiere at Lincoln Center’s White Light Festival last fall. Who was Layla, and what is the story behind the song? Th Ia melepaskan segala kemanusiaannya dan mengabdikan dirinya hanya untuk cinta. The men jump and leap in the masculine posturing of Eastern European wedding dances, while the women filter in on seamless steps, as though floating on water. To have ownership of something that powerful is something Ill never be able to get used to, Eric Clapton said of Layla in 1988. [4], Miniatures depicting the heroes of the poem "Layla and Majnun" were created by miniature artists from different cities, such as Tabriz, Herat. Situation: Majnun asks Layla’s father if he can marry her. The earliest versions were loosely connected anecdotes characteristic of the Udri genre of Arabic poetry, which focuses on stories of unrequited, platonic love. This story has been told in many different forms, it is the the story of Layla and Majnun. The story of Layla and Majnun, written one thousand years before Romeo and Juliet, has been repeatedly compared to William Shakespeare’s play because of the tragic love … As Nizami says (translated by Gelpke), “A fire had been lit in both—and each reflected the other. The complete script for Laila and Majnun is available as are Sepanta's other manuscripts. In the nineteenth-century Lord Byron called it “the Romeo and Juliet of the East” despite the fact that the legend predates Shakespeare’s tragic lovers by nearly a thousand years. [4] There are 4600 stanzas in the poem. Find out more about that here: http://www.gardenenclosed.com, Your email address will not be published. The poem is based on a semi historical and mystical Arabian love story about 7th century Nejdi Bedouin poet Qays ibn Al-Mulawwah and the woman he loves Layla bint Mahdi (also known as Layla al-Aamariya.) "Layla and Majnun" (Persian لیلی و مجنون) is the third poem of the classic of Nizami Ganjavi (1141–1209, Ganja). A fire had been lit in both—and each reflected the other. This poem is included in "Khamsa" and was written in 1188 in Persian. Majnun reads love poems and elegies, which can be considered as psychological self-analysis, showing his disappointments and the reasons for his actions. "Layla and Majnun" (Persian لیلی و مجنون) is the third poem of the classic of Nizami Ganjavi (1141–1209, Ganja). The would-be lovers, Qays and Layla, meet as children in school and fall deeply in love. He also transferred the development of the plot to the urban environment and decorated the narrative with descriptions of nature as well. Majnun, who spent his entire life searching and longing for his love, but would only unite with her in death, is the ultimate depiction of love and desire for God – and Layla, the reflection of the beloved divine one.”. This article should be included in forthcoming performance programs. Layla and Majnun are even believed to be buried in Rajasthan, contrary to historical probability and the narrative consensus of centuries; their purported tombs draw thousands of newlyweds each June for an annual pilgrimage. Its contrasting movements were reportedly composed separately by Clapton and Gordon. The Bedouin camps of the original Arabic oral poems became embellished with Persian gardens by poets writing in Persian; Majnun’s poetry, scattered to the winds, found later expression as Hindi film songs. In Layla and Majnun there is a sense that Qays the poet is a helpless victim of Layla’s intoxicating beauty. Nizami shows that the experience of a loving person and an ascetic is similar, except that the ascetic acts deliberately, while the lover suffers from the power of love. Various versions exist, but at the core of each is a love that cannot be. [18] A year later, the eponymous film based on the poem was shot at the film studio "Azerbaijanfilm" (the role of Majnun was performed by Nedar Shashik-ogly). "Layla" is a song written by Eric Clapton and Jim Gordon, originally recorded by Derek and the Dominos, as the thirteenth track from their only studio album, Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs (1970). A young man named Qais ibn Al-Mulawah (known as Qays) fell in love with a young lady named Layla: deeply, irrevocably, hopelessly in love. Layla and Majnun or Leyli va Majnun (aka Leili-o-Majnun or Laili-o-Majnoon) is a 1937 Iranian romance film produced in 1937 by Abdolhossein Sepanta by the East India Film Studios.. Working within the structure of the Azerbaijani opera, based itself on a notable poetic version by the Azerbaijani poet Fuzuli, the production centers the story within storytelling and musical structures that uphold the cultural shorthand of the story, while also allowing those who are unfamiliar with the legend to experience it in an authentic way. I’ve always known about Layla and Majnun, even though the story is not well known in the United States. The Mark Morris Dance Group’s production contextualizes Layla and Majnun through its link with the Azerbaijani opera and mugham singing, placing it within a cultural context that contains the full spectrum of interpretations. I so enjoyed this article, the description of the dances she saw performed as well as the very detailed history about these various themes and interpretations. Translated Dr. Rudolf. The story has proved remarkably durable over the centuries as different cultures have found novel ways of reimagining and adapting it as their own. Last edited on 14 December 2020, at 01:30, "The Legend of Leyli and Majnun - Welcome to Iran", "Poem: From the Tale of "Laili and Majnun" by James Atkinson", "Translations of Layla and Majnun into Russian", "Photo report: The Persian artist Aga Mirek : theological portal Bogoslov.Ru", "The First Eastern Opera "Leyli and Majnun, "Opera "Layla and Majnun" by Uzeyir Hajibeyov", "The Virginal Love of Layla Majnun – Good Times", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Layla_and_Majnun_(Nizami_Ganjavi_poem)&oldid=994086850, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Later, this translation was reissued several times (1894, 1915). [6] The couple united only after death. Seen in this light, Majnun’s single-minded devotion to Layla, which is interpreted as madness by society, becomes instead the expression of the seeker, one who is intoxicated with God. Knowing of his devotion to his parents, Layla was determined to send Majnun word of their passing. I don’t remember an exact moment when I became aware of the story; Laila-Majnu was soaked into cultural references, and I absorbed it by osmosis. In the prologue and epilogue, Nizami gives advice to the reader about various topics such as the transience of life, death, humility, etc. What could they have done against it?”. Indeed, the story of Layla and Majnun can be interpreted entirely as a metaphor for spiritual love in the Sufi tradition. Based on the classical poet Nizami Ganjavi’s 12th-century poem, The Story of Layla and Majnun, Ganjavi wrote of a young man who fell desperately in love with a beautiful woman, but she was unavailable. This time Majnun must question the father’s reasoning and show the strength of his emotion. Behind them all, a huge abstract painting by the late painter, Howard Hodgkin, jagged lines of electric green and salmon, seems to shift colors as the piece goes on. I finally read the story as a teenager, when an elderly Parsi gentleman gave me an English translation on a later visit to India. Laila-Majnun ini adalah cerita kisah nyata dari negara jazirah Arab,menceritakan tentang kisah percintaan dua insan yaitu Laila dan Majnun. Palmer started researching the play’s history, and learned that one of the most famous plays in Western literature was actually based on a 12 th century epic poem by one of the most famous Muslim writers in history. Lacking the cultural shorthand built over centuries in the Middle East and Central and South Asia that created a structure for interpreting the story on multiple levels, Layla and Majnun came to represent the idea simply of hopeless love or the experience of being driven to distraction by love. When his father forbade the marriage, Qays went mad and began to wander the desert (Majnun is Arabic for 'madman'). [4][10], The poem was published in various countries in different versions of the text. Majnūn, which means 'possessed by spirits' or 'crazy', was the name given to the semi-legendary seventh-century Arab poet Qays ibn Mulawwaḥ when he reputedly became mad with love for Laylá, his cousin. Layla and Majnun are reunited only after death, just as the soul is believed in the Sufi tradition to unite with God. Its contrasting movements were reportedly composed separately by Clapton and Gordon. The voices of the singers, Alim Qasimov, the renowned master of mugham singing from Azerbaijan, and his daughter and protege, Fargana Qasimova, rise above the dance, pure and clear as cold water, wrenching as a knife to the heart. This bas-relief is a part of Hermitage museum collection in Saint Petersburg. Upon learning of Laylas death, Majnun comes to her grave and dies there. It is based on the story of the ancient Arabic legend "Layla and Majnun" about the unhappy love[3] of the young man Qays, nicknamed "Majnun" ("The Madman"), towards beautiful Layla. Trivia About Layla and Majnun. Most versions of the story follow a similar narrative arc, an episodic, slow-motion tragedy, shot through with madness and longing. Onstage the dancers swirl in and out of complex formations on a multilevel set, filing around the musicians, who are grouped in the center of the stage. However, the Iranian scientist Vahid Dastgerdi published a critical edition of the poem in 1934, compiling a text from 66 chapters and 3657 stanzas, dropping 1007 verses, defining them as later interpolations (distortions added to the text), although he admitted that some of them could have been added by Nizami himself. [4], As in Arabic sources, Nizami refers to the poetic genius of Majnun at least 30 times. [16], There is a bas-relief depicting the heroes of the poem - Layla and Majnun, as a schoolgirl and a schoolboy performed on the pedestal of Nizami Ganjavi monument in Baku, which was established in 1949, by sculptor A. Khryunov and which was based on the sketches of the artist Gazanfar Halykov. And Layla? Later Sufi poets such as Rumi and Hafez make frequent references to the story and its interpretation as an allegory of spiritual love in their poems. The story of Layla and Majnun invokes a love that transcends the lovers’ experience of themselves, representing the potential of a spiritual love beyond human expression. He knew he wanted to produce it. The story of Layla and Majnun was known in Persia as early as the 9th century. Layla died shortly after the death of her husband, openly mourning her love of Majnun. This story, of would-be lovers doomed to separation and death, has transfixed humanity for millennia, enduring over the centuries as a symbol of overwhelming, ecstatic, crazy, tragic love. The dance is a marvel of choreography that evokes emotion through execution and timing. By Nizami Ganjavi (1192) also called Layla and Magnun or Leili o Majun is an epic love poem composed in 584 / 1188 by the great Persian poet Nizami Ganjavi. [12], This romantic poem belongs to the genre of "Udri" (otherwise "Odri"). They could be any of us, lovestruck and shunned from our community, longing for union with the beloved. Layla and Majnun or "The Madman and Layla" is a love story originating from classic Arabic Literature, later adopted and popularized by the Persian-language poet Nizami Ganjavi.. Majnun fell in love with Layla bint Mahdi ibn Sa’d (better known as Layla Aamiriya) from the same tribe which lived (in fact, still lives) in central Saudi Arabia. Original question: Who wrote the song Layla? [7], The first translation of the work was a shortened poem in English. She fared no better. Majnun is refused. Pergi menziarahi makam Laila. [9][4], The poem was translated into Russian by Eugene Bertels (a small prose translation from the poem), T. Forsch,[10] but the first full edition appeared with a poetic translation into Russian (completely) by Pavel Antokolsky. In brief, Qays ibn al-Mulawwah of the Banu ‘Amir tribe falls in love with his classmate Layla bint Sa‘d. by Eric Clapton and Jim Gordon Based on Nizami's 12th century epic poem, "Leyli and Majnun" As the two grow older, the intensity of their love increases. Im incredibly proud of that song. In the early sections, each pair, identified by their scarves, represents the lovers at a different stage—as children innocently in love, youths trying to elude their disapproving families, adults lost in the wilderness of their impossible love, and finally in a dramatic tableau at Layla’s unwanted wedding. As a child, my family lived for several years in India and Pakistan, before moving to Chapel Hill in the early 1990s. Characters: Majnun Layla’s father. Forum: replay the action. They move crisply, their movements recalling folk dances we think we’ve seen but may have only imagined, groups loping through grapevines and daisy chains. Majnun is presented as a poet who is able to compose dazzling verses in various poetic genres. . [19], Azerbaijani artist Mikayil Abdullayev made mosaic panels at the Nizami Ganjavi subway station of the Baku Metro depicting the heroes of the poem.[20]. Ernst has compellingly woven together history, myth, music and choreography. It was based on a full-scale dramatic poem by Nizami and was Sepanta's fifth produced film that had sound. Eric was given a book by Ian Dallas called The Story of Layla and Majnun, written by Nizami Ganjavi. This poem is considered as the first literary processing of the legend. I have seen and read many interpretations of, and commentaries on, Layla and Majnun. Their upraised hands and faces, torn with emotion, seem to echo their words, as do their bodies, swaying in the aftermath of the sung poetry. Even though the romance didn't last, Eric Clapton's song "Layla" has maintained its popularity and is considered by some to be one of rock music's definitive love songs. THE STORY OF LAYLA AND MAJNUN. Layla was forced to marry this other man, although she did not love him because her heart still belonged to Majnun. The forbidden love story of Layla and Qays (Majnun). The travelers said that Majnun spent his days reciting poetry to himself and writing in the sand with a long stick; they said that he truly was driven to madness by a broken heart. LAYLA AND MAJNUN Poem by Michael Roes.My folly bakes stones. The translation was made by an English orientalist and translator James Atkinson. When Majnun heard of her death, he became mad with grief. Nothing works out. Tells the story of two young lovers who met in their childhood and grew together to later blossomed into love. He was named Kais, and as he matured it became obvious to all that he would one day become a source of great pride to his family and tribe. In some versions a sympathetic nobleman wages an unsuccessful war against Layla’s tribe on the lovers’ behalf. The singers are seated dead center on a raised platform, their continuo musicians, on tar and kamanche, next to them. In the past, Layla has been depicted as a … Layla and Majnun was translated from Persian into English in 1788 by Sir William Jones, the philologist who lived in Calcutta and wrote Persian poetry under the pen name Youns Uksfardi. Eventually, Layla dies of a broken heart, and Majnun rushes to her grave and dies. At other times they embody pure emotion, the ecstasy of love, the agony of separation, in the sway of a torso, the sideways lift of a leg, a dancer standing there with arms down, heart open. It resulted in his song Layla. Layli and Majnun: Love, Madness and Mystic Longing, Dr. Ali Asghar Seyed-Gohrab, Brill Studies in Middle Eastern literature, Jun 2003. He also consciously layered in Sufi motifs and allegory—wine as a metaphor for divine intoxication and the candle that consumes itself in the fire of longing. The lyrics are based on the book by Persian poet Nizami, Layla and Majnun, about a man in love with a woman who cannot have her because her parents object.When they cannot be together, he goes insane. (SWL holds one-time web publication rights for each article. Many years later, Majnun’s father and mother both passed away. Don't laugh at it When I addressed you in words as cautious as the [11], The poem was translated into Azerbaijani by the poet Samad Vurgun in 1939. Layla remained devoted to Majnun … The story of Layla and Majnun is the classic Islamic story of doomed love. Some years ago, Qasimov proposed a shorter, more universally accessible version to Yo-Yo Ma of the Silk Road Ensemble, which resulted in a 45-minute chamber music version that toured the world in 2008 and 2009. [4], In picturesque images, Majnun is portrayed as an emaciated ascetic. The story of Layla and Majnun is, as English poet Lord Byron put it, ‘the Romeo and Juliet of the East’. Leyla. Cukup sampai 30 halaman sajalah saya mengikuti kisah Layla dan Qays. We all know the ending but, like Majnun, we can’t help but return to the intoxication of love. Because it can be interpreted on different levels—as romantic or spiritual love—it continues to inspire fascination up to the present. From there, Layla and Majnun filtered into the edges of European and then American cultural discourse, but often without an understanding of the spiritual dimensions of the story. Majnun’s incessant poetic expression of Layla’s beauty and his astonishingly … Layla is forced into a marriage with a wealthy man but refuses to consummate the marriage. Gelpke in collaboration with E. Mattin and G. Hill, Omega Publications, 1966, This page was last edited on 14 December 2020, at 01:30. Yo-Yo Ma envisioned a version with a dance component and invited the choreographer Mark Morris to direct and choreograph it. Rustam Aliyev carried out a complete philological prosaic translation of the work from Persian into Russian. Your email address will not be published. Layla and Majnun was translated from Persian into English in 1788 by Sir William Jones, the philologist who lived in Calcutta and wrote Persian poetry under the pen name Youns Uksfardi. I remember being surprised by my response as I read—like everyone else, I knew the inevitable outcome. Nizami took the many fragments from the Arabian stories and wove them into a cohesive narrative, embellished with touches characteristic of Persian epic poetry like lush descriptions of nature and gardens. Set around the 7th century AD, it was first written in prose by Nizami Ganjavi. This is the legend of Layla and Majnun Once, a boy of exceeding beauty was born into the family of a noble Shaykh. Around them, the musicians conjure a caravan of sound, familiar and exotic at the same time. It still knocks me out when I play it. Heroes are semi-imaginary-semi-historical characters and their actions are similar to the actions of the characters of other romantic poems of this genre. One of the highlights of the LP is “Layla.” The origin of the song can be traced back to a popular tale – “The Story of Layla and Majnun” written by Persian poet Nizami Ganjavi. Layla, I’m begging, darling, please. The definitive version of the story was written in the twelth-century by the poet Nizami Ganjavi, writing in Persian in present-day Azerbaijan. Knowing of his devotion to his parents, Layla was determined to send Majnun word of their passing. Round one: act out as it occurs in the story using the evidence you have been given. The story is believed to have originated in the Bedouin storytelling traditions of seventh-century Arabia. In 1188, the Persian poet, Nizami, wrote his great poem, containing some 4,600 verses. The ostensibly tragic end then becomes an allegory of the longing of the soul to be reunited with the beloved (God). In the late 19th century, Ahmed Shawqi wrote a lyrical play based on Fuzuli’s poetry, now considered one of the best in modern Arab poetry. The story of Layla and Majnun is an old Arabic tale of ill-fated lovers, loosely connected with the life of a 7th century poet, Qays ibn Mulawwah.It has been told and retold many times over, and like all tales told and retold, the original story has acquired twists and permutations. Since its debut, Hajibeyli’s opera has opened each season of the Theater of Opera and Ballet in Baku and was led for two decades by the revered singer Alim Qasimov, considered a Living National Treasure of Azerbaijan for his preservation of the art of mugham vocal tradition. [4], An opera, Leyli and Majnun composed by the Azerbaijani composer Uzeyir Hajibayov, was premiered in 1908. Two well known Persian poets, Rudaki and Baba Taher, both mention the lovers. ), South Writ Large | Issue: Winter 2018 | Layla and Majnun: The Love Story That Inspired Eric Clapton, Yo-Yo Ma, and Mark Morris. In death, the lovers finally unite. It is a classical Arab story popularized by a Persian poet by the name of Nizami Ganjavi whom wrote this masterpiece based on a true story of a young man called Majnun in Arabic meaning madman. This article is beautifully written. This latest multinational reimagining of the story draws on a 1908 Azerbaijani opera by the composer Uzeyir Hajibeyli that combines mugham, a style of modal, improvisatory singing from Azerbaijan, with orchestral sections in the style of European opera. The travellers said that Majnun spent his days reciting poetry to himself and writing in the sand with a long stick; they said that he truly was driven to madness by a broken heart. The painting is titled Love and Death, a fitting backdrop to a recent collaboration between the Mark Morris Dance Group and the Silk Road Ensemble based on the ancient love story of Layla and Majnun. Instead, Layla was promised to another – an older man from a neighbouring village. [17], In 1960, the first Tajik ballet film called “Layla and Majnun” was shot based on the poem at the Tajikfilm studio. Layla and Majnun Lord Byron described the Persian story of Laylá (Laylī) and Majnūn as the 'Romeo and Juliet of the East'. The Azerbaijani adaptation of the story, Dâstân-i Leylî vü Mecnûn (The Epic of Layla and Majnun) was written in the 16th century by Fuzûlî, pseudonym of the poet Muhammad bin Suleyman. Clapton's situation with Pattie was different, but he liked the title and the theme of unattainable love. In his commentary on Majnun's speech, the narrator always takes his side, which affects the reader's interpretation. The women wear long dresses of coral flecked with white, the men tunics of marbled cobalt blue over white trousers. But I couldn’t stop reading, drawn to the gorgeously written tragedy like a moth to the flame, to quote the Sufi poets whose works continually reference Layla and Majnun. The Azerbaijani language adaptation of the story, Dâstân-ı Leylî vü Mecnûn (داستان ليلى و مجنون; "The Epic of Layla and Majnun") was written in the 16th century by Fuzûlî and Hagiri Tabrizi. The legend continues to be reborn in new forms and expressions. [4], The Arab-Bedouin legend was modified by Nizami. The young Bedouin poet Qays fell in love with Layla, a woman of his own tribe, and wrote her many celebrated love poems. Although Layla, too, is truly smitten by love, it is Qays who publicly and unreservedly pronounces his obsessive passion in elegiac lyrics, thus earning the epithet Majnun (literally, “possessed” or “mad”). There is some evidence that Majnun may have been based on a real person, Qays Ibn al-Mulawwah of the Banu Amir tribe, but whether the legend reflects real events may never be known. When they are young, their single-minded devotion passes under the radar. The plot of the poems of this genre is simple and revolves around unrequited love. This will be a right off the bat answer. Characters: Majnun In the last section, all four pairs of lovers dance together before dying.