Nizami poems layla and majnun
Nizami poems layla and majnun
Layla and majnun poem.
Which translation of Layla and Majnun should I read?
So you want to read the epic poem that Lord Byron called “the Romeo and Juliet of the East”, the one that inspired the lyrics of the song “Layla” by Eric Clapton and at least one other song on the same album, for which Clapton gave credit to long-dead poet Nizami.
Romance is not the only theme of the poem, however: there is a strong spiritual element reflecting the values of Sufism (Islamic mysticism).
The tale can be read as an allegory.
The story was not created by the Persian poet Nizami in 1188, nor is he the only one to write a version of it, but he is noted for his unusual success in transforming and unifying a bunch of traditional Persian and Arabic stories dating back hundreds of years.
Layla and Majnun: Translation History
As far as I can tell, there have been five English translations (Byng’s is an edited version of Atkinson’s).
Three are in print.
- 1797 – Isaac D’Israeli
- 1836 – James Atkinson
- 1905 – L. Cranm