Subject: Layla and Majnun

[Guest guest]

This was posted in English on the Albanian Spirituality list. No alt.

Romeo & Juliet here; Mr. Shakespeare borrowed much! This is the story

of the soul journeying to the divine.. Sorry for the long scroll..

 

Arlind Boshnjaku <arlindboshnjaku>

Tue Sep 16, 2003 10:27 pm

Layla and Majnun

 

 

 

this is a traditional tale told in it's most famous sufi version by

Nizami, translated in "Tales from the Land of the Sufis" by Mojdeh

Bayat and Mohammad Ali Jamnia; it is perhaps the greatest love story

of all...

 

LAYLA AND MAJNUN

 

The chief of the Bani 'Umar tribe of Arabia had everything a man

could want, except for one thing - if only he had a child. The

medicine men of the village suggested many potions and medicines, but

to no avail. When nothing seemed to work, his wife suggested that the

couple kneel before God's altar and, in sincerity, ask the dear Lord

to grant them this boon, "Why not?" replied the chief, "We have tried

almost all other ways. One more will not hurt."

 

So the man and wife knelt in front of the Almighty, shedding tears

from the depth of their wounded hearts. "0 Dearest of All, let not

our tree be fruitless. Let us taste the sweetness of carrying a baby

in our arms. Grant us the responsibility of raising a good human

being. Give us the chance to make You proud of our child."

 

Before too long, their prayer was heard, and the Lord granted them a

baby boy, whom they named Qays. The father's happiness was boundless,

for Qays was a boy loved by all, a beautiful child, with big brown

eyes and black hair, who was constantly the center of attention and

admiration. From the beginning, Qays showed exceptional intelligence

and physical ability. He had an unusual talent for learning the

warrior's arts as well as a gift for music, poetry, and painting.

 

When it was time for the lad to go to school, his father decided to

build a school where only the best teachers of Arabia would teach,

and only the cream of the crop would study. The sons and daughters of

noble families came from all over Arabia to attend the new school.

 

Among them was the daughter of the chief of a neighboring tribe. A

jewel of a girl, possessed of remarkable feminine beauty. Her hair

and eyes were black as night; for this reason they had named her

Layla - "the Night." Although she was only twelve, many men had

already pleaded for her hand in marriage, for, as was the custom in

those times, girls were often betrothed at as young as the age of

nine.

 

Layla and Qays were classmates, and from their first day at school

they were drawn to each other. As time passed, this spark of

attraction grew into a burning flame of love. For them, school was no

longer a place to learn - now it was simply a place to meet each

other. While the teacher discoursed, they stared at each other, and

when it was time to write their lessons, they wrote instead each

other's names on the paper. No other friend, no other pleasure

existed for them. The world had become only Qays and Layla; they were

deaf and blind to all else.

 

Little by little, everybody came to know of their love, and tongues

began to wag. Now, in those days, it was not proper for a girl to be

known as the object of someone's love - and certainly not to respond

to it. When Layla's parents heard the whisperings about their

daughter, they forbade her to go to school. The burden of shame for

the family of a chief of the tribe was more than they could bear.

 

When Layla failed to appear in the classroom, Qays became so

distressed that he left school and began to wander the streets in

search of his beloved, calling out her name. He composed poetry for

her and recited it as he walked the streets. He spoke of nothing but

Layla, nor did he respond to others unless they asked a question

about her, People laughed and pointed, saying, "Look at him - he's a

majnun, a madman!," and the name stuck.

 

Seeing people, listening to them, or speaking with them had become

unbearable to Majnun. He wished to see no one but Layla. And so he

abandoned his own village for hers. He knew that she had been

imprisoned in her house by her parents, who wisely recognized that if

Layla were left free to go where she wished, she would certainly go

to Majnun. Majnun found a place on the mountaintop near Layla's

village and built a cottage for himself with a view of her house.

 

All day long Majnun would sit in front of his cottage, beside a small

stream winding its way down toward the village. He spoke to the

water, sending wildflower petals with its flow, believing that it

would carry his message of love to Layla. He addressed the birds,

asking them to fly to Layla and let her know he was near. He inhaled

the wind that blew from the west, for it had passed through Layla's

town. If a stray dog happened to come by from her village, he would

feed it and take care of it, loving the animal as if it were sacred,

respecting it and keeping it until the time the dog chose to leave,

if indeed it did so. Anything that came from the place of his beloved

was as cherished and dear to him as the beloved herself

 

Months passed, and Majnun had seen not a trace of Layla. His longing

for her was so great that he felt he could not survive another day

without seeing her again. Sometimes his former companions from school

came to visit, but he talked to them only of Layla, of how much he

missed her. One day, three boys who came by were so touched by

Majnun's agony that they determined to help him see Layla again.

 

Their plan was a clever one. The next day, they and Majnun approached

Layla's house, disguised as women. They easily passed as her maids

and managed to reach the door to her room. Majnun entered the room

while the others stayed outside, standing guard.

 

>From the day she stopped going to school, Layla had done nothing but

think of Qays. Strangely enough, anytime she heard birds singing

through the window or the wind blowing gently, she closed her eyes,

thinking she could hear Qays's voice in them. She would catch the

flower petals brought by the wind or the stream and know that they

had come from Qays. But never did she speak to anyone, not even her

best friends, about her love.

 

The day that Majnun entered Layla's room, she had sensed his coming.

She was dressed in her loveliest garment, a long turquoise silk

dress. Her hair was unhraided and carefully combed around her

shoulders. Her eyes were penciled, in the custom of Arab women, with

a black powder called surmeh. Her lips were reddened, and her

naturally rosy cheeks were glowing, betraying her excitement. She sat

in front of the door, waiting. When Majnun entered, Layla remained

seated, for even though she had been told he would come, she could

not believe it had really happened.

 

Majnun stood by the door for several minutes, drinking in the sight

of Layla. At last they were together again! Nothing could be heard

but the sound of the two lovers' hearts beating. They stared and

stared at each other, unaware of the passage of time.

 

One of the household maids noticed the unknown women outside her

mistress's room. Her suspicion aroused, she alerted one of the

guards. But by the time Layla's mother came to investigate, Majnun

and his friends were long gone. However, once her parents had

questioned Layla, it was not difficult for them to figure out what

had happened. Her silence and the happiness in her eyes told all.

 

After that, Layla's father had guards stationed at every door in the

house. There was no way Majnun could find access to even the most

remote part of the house. But if her father thought that by taking

this precaution he could change the way they felt about each other,

he was sadly in error.

 

When Majnun's father learned of the incident in Layla's house, he

decided to put an end to the drama by asking her father for Layla's

hand for his son. He prepared a caravan of gifts and set out for

Layla's village.

 

The guest was well received, and the two chiefs talked of the

happiness of their children. Majnun's father spoke first: "You know

well, my friend, that there are two things essential to happiness -

love and wealth. My son loves your daughter, and I can assure you

that I would give them enough money to provide them with a

comfortable life."

 

"I have nothing against Qays, and I believe you, for you are without

doubt an honorable man," Layla's father replied. 'However, you cannot

blame me for being cautious about your son. Everyone knows of his

abnormal behavior. He dresses like a beggar. He must not have taken a

bath in ages. He lives with animals and shuns people. Tell me, my

friend, if you had a daughter and I were in your place, would you

give your daughter to my son?"

 

No argument came from Qays' father. What could he say? That at one

time his son had been a model of excellence for his peers? That he

was the smartest and most talented young man in the entire land of

Arabia? Of course not. Even the father himself had a hard time

believing any of that anymore. It had been a long time since anyone

had heard a sentence that made any sense from Majnun. "I am not going

to stand by and watch my son destroy himself" he thought. "I must do

something."

 

When the chief returned home, he sent for his son. He arranged a

dinner in his honor to which the most beautiful girls of the land

were invited. Surely they would divert Majnun's attention from Layla,

he thought.

 

At the party, Majnun was quiet, ignoring the other guests. He sat in

a corner, looking at the girls only to search each one's features for

similarities to his Layla's. One girl was wearing a dress similar to

one of Layla's; another had hair as long as hers, and another a

similar smile. But none was quite like her; none was even half as

beautiful. The party only deepened Majnun's feelings for his beloved,

and he grew distraught, blaming everyone at the party for trying to

trick him. In tears, Majnun accused his parents and friends of being

cruel and ruthless. So violent did his crying

become that he finally dropped to the floor unconscious.

 

After this disaster, Qays's father decided to try taking the youth on

a pilgrimage to Mecca in the hope that God might have mercy on him

and free him from this devastating love. There, to please his father,

Majnun knelt in front of the altar - but what did he pray? "0 Dearest

of All, King of Kings, You Who bestow love, I beg of You only one

thing: to elevate me in love to such a degree that even though I may

perish, my love and my beloved will thrive." The chief knew then that

there was nothing he could do for his son.

 

After the pilgrimage, Majnun, who was unwilling to face the

villagers, went to the mountains without telling anyone of his

whereabouts. He did not return to his cottage but instead chose a

ruined building isolated from society, and resided there.

 

After that, no one heard from Majnun. His parents sent friends and

relatives in search of him, but no one could find him. Many concluded

that he had been killed by desert animals.

 

One day, a man who was passing by the ruined building noticed a

strange figure sitting by one of the crumbling walls - a wild man

with hair down to his shoulders, his beard long and untidy, his

clothes torn and faded. When the passerby received no reply to his

greeting, he approached the man. It was then that he noticed a wolf

sleeping at the man's feet, "Hush," said the wild man, "lest you

awaken my friend." Then he turned his gaze toward some distant point.

 

The curious traveler sat there quietly, waiting to see what would

happen. Finally the wild man began to talk. Quickly the traveler

learned that this was the famous Majnun, whose strange exploits were

gossiped about all over Arabia. Apparently, Majnun had had no

difficulty adapting to life in the wild. In fact, he had adjusted so

well that it was hard not to see him as a natural part of the

landscape. Animals were drawn to him, instinctively knowing that he

was no harm to them. His kindness had earned their trust, even from

the most notorious beast, such as the wolf. The traveler listened as

Majnun sang his praises of Layla. They shared a piece of bread that

the traveler had with him, and afterward the traveler took his leave

and continued on his way.

 

When the traveler arrived at Majnun's village, he told people the

story. Ultimately, word reached the chief, who invited the traveler

to his house and asked for details. Overjoyed that Majnun was alive,

the chief set out for the desert to find him.

 

At the sight of the ruins that the traveler had described, the chief

was overcome with emotion. So this was the pathetic state to which

his son had fallen. "0 God, I beg of You to save my son and return

him to his family," the chief cried out. Majnun heard his father's

prayer and came rushing out of his hiding place. Dropping at his

feet, he cried, "Dear Father, forgive me for all the pain I have

caused you. Please forget that you ever had a son, for this may make

it easier for you to overcome your grief. This is my fate to love,

and to live for love."

 

Father and son held each other and cried. It was to be their

last meeting.

 

Layla's relatives blamed her father for mishandling the situation.

They believed that the scandal had shamed the entire family. For this

reason, Layla's parents confined her to her room. Some of her friends

were allowed to visit, but she did not want any company. She turned

inward, nourishing the flame of love that burned within.

 

To express her deepest feelings, she wrote poems to her beloved on

small scraps of paper. Then when she was permitted to spend some time

alone in the garden, she would release these scraps to the wind.

Villagers who found the air-borne poems took them to Majnun, and in

this way, the two lovers were able to have some contact.

 

Since Majnun was known throughout the land, many people went to visit

him, but they stayed only a short while, for they knew he could not

bear the company of people for very long. They listened to him sing

beautiful verses and play enchantingly on his reed pipe. Some felt

sorry for him; others were simply curious about his story. Yet

everyone was able to sense his profound loving-kindness toward all

creation.

 

One of these visitors was a brave knight called 'Amr, who had come

upon Majnun in the course of his journey to Mecca. Although he had

heard the famous love story in his town, he was eager to hear it from

the lips of Majnun himself. The tragic drama of the tale so

overwhelmed him with sorrow and sadness that he vowed to do whatever

possible to help unite the two lovers even if it meant destroying

those who stood in their way!

 

Back at his hometown, 'Amr grimly gathered his troops. The army

galloped into Layla's village and attacked the tribe without mercy.

Defenders quickly arose, and many men were killed or injured.

As 'Amr's troops were close to winning the battle, Layla's father

sent a message to 'Amr; "If you or any of your soldiers want my

daughter, I will give her up without a fight. Even if you want to

kill her, I won't protest. But one thing I will never accept: do not

ask me to give her to that madman!"

 

On the battlefield, Majnun wandered freely among the warriors and

attended to Layla's injured kinsmen. He tended them with utmost care

and did whatever he could to ease their wounds. When 'Amr demanded an

explanation for his aiding and abetting of the enemy, Majnun

replied, "These people come from the land of my beloved. How can they

ever be my enemies?"

 

For all his sympathy for Majnun, 'Amr could not understand this at

all. What Layla's father had said about that madman finally made

sense to him. And so he ordered his troops to withdraw. As swiftly as

it had descended on the village, the army left - with not a word to

Majnun.

 

Layla continued to languish in the prison of her lonely room. Her

only enjoyment was to walk in her flower garden. One day, on her way

to the garden, Ibn Salam, a nobleman of wealth and power, caught a

glimpse of her and fell in love at once. Without delay he sought out

her father. Exhausted and disheartened by the recent battle that had

left him with so many wounded, Layla's father consented to the

marriage.

 

Layla, of course, refused her consent. She told her father, "I would

be happier dead than married to that man." But all her cries and

pleading tell on deaf ears. She then went to her mother, but she

fared no better with her.

 

The wedding took place quickly. The parents were relieved that the

whole ordeal was finally over. Layla however, made it clear to her

husband that she could never love him. "I will never be a wife," she

declared, "so don't waste your time on me. Find yourself a mistress

I'm sure there are many who could make you happy." Despite these cold

words, lbn Salam believed that after living with him for a while, she

would eventually come to her senses. He decided not to force himself

on Layla, but to wait for her to come to him.

 

When the news of Layla's wedding reached Majnun, he wailed for days

and sang songs so wrenching that all who heard them wept. His pain

was so great that even the animals that gathered around him became

despondent. Yet his restlessness lasted only a short while, for soon

a strange inner peace seemed to settle over him. As if nothing had

happened, he continued living in the ruins. Yet, not only had his

feelings for Layla not changed, they had become even deeper.

 

It was with utmost sincerity that Majnun wrote to congratulate his

beloved on her marriage: "May all the happiness in the world be

yours. I ask only one thing as a token of your love - that you may

remember my name, even though you have chosen another in union. Never

forget that there is a man whose body, even if torn to pieces, would

call only one name, and that is yours, Layla."

 

In answer, Layla sent an earring as a traditional sign of devotion.

In her accompanying letter she said, "I cannot recall a single moment

in my life that has not been spent thinking of you. I have kept my

love inside for so long, without being able to tell anyone about it,

while you have shouted your love to the entire world. I have been

burning inside, while you have set everything around you aflame. Now

I have to endure spending my life with one man when my entire soul

belongs to another. Tell me, my love, which of us is more love-

crazed, you or I?"

 

Years passed, and Majnun's parents passed away. He continued to live

in the ruined building, feeling lonelier than ever. By day he

wandered through the desert with his animal companions. By night be

played his flute and sang his poems to the wild animals, who were now

his only audience. He scratched poems to Layla in the sand with a

twig. Over time, accustomed to this strange way of life, he had

attained a peace and harmony that nothing could disturb.

 

Layla, for her part, had remained true to her love, and Ibn Salam

never succeeded in getting closer to her. Although he lived with

Layla, he was far apart from her. Jewelry and expensive presents had

not bought her devotion, and he had given up trying to win his wife's

trust. Life had become fruitless and bitter for him, and he found no

tranquillity or refuge in his home. Layla and he were strangers, and

he could not even share the news of the outside world with her. No

words were ever heard from Layla's lips unless she were asked a

question, and even then she answered as simply as possible. When,

eventually, Ibn Salam succumbed to illness he gave up the struggle,

for his life offered him no hope. And so he died early one

summer morning.

 

The death of her husband seemed to pull the plug on Layla's bottled-

up emotions. People thought she was mourning Ibn Salam's death, when

she was in fact crying for her long-lost love, Majnun. For years she

had maintained a calm and indifferent facade, not once crying. Now

she wailed long and loud over separation from her one and only.

 

When the traditional period of mourning was over, Layla returned to

her father's house. Although still young, she had aged in spirit,

reaching a maturity and wisdom rare in women her age. But while her

love burned bright. Layla's health was fading, for she did not take

care of herself, neglecting her meals and passing many a night

without proper rest. What did she care for her body, when her only

concern was Majnun? Layla herself knew well that she might not last

much longer.

 

Finally, a chronic incurable cough that had been bothering her for a

few months took its toll. As Layla lay on her deathbed, still her

only thought was of Majnun. If only she could see him at least one

more time! The only time she opened her eyes was to look at the door

to see if her love was coming. But she knew time was running out and

that she would have to go without being able to say good-bye to him.

One cold autumn night, with her eyes fixed on the door, she passed

quietly away, murmuring, "Majnun."

 

The news of Layla's death spread across the land. It was not long

before it reached Majnun. When he heard the news, he swooned in the

middle of the desert and remained unconscious for several days. When

he came to himself, he set out at once for Layla's village. With

barely enough energy to walk, he dragged his body over the sand. Thus

he moved without stopping until he arrived at Layla's tomb outside

the town. He mourned at her grave for days. When he found no other

way to ease his pain, he gently laid his head on the grave and

quietly abandoned his soul.

 

Majnun's body remained in Layla's tomb for a year. It was not until

the anniversary of Layla's death, when her friends and relatives

visited the tomb, that they found a body lying on top of the grave. A

couple of school friends identified it as Majnun's. He was buried

alongside Layla. The two lovers, who had been united in eternity, now

were united in body as well.

 

It is said that sometime later, a Sufi had a dream in which Majnun

appeared in the presence of the Lord. God caressed Majnun with loving-

kindness and bade him sit by His side. Then he addressed

Majnun: "Were you not ashamed to call Me by the name of Layla, after

having drunk the wine of My love?"

 

The Sufi woke up in distress. If Majnun was treated so dearly by the

Lord, he wondered, what had happened to poor Layla? And as soon as he

had this thought, God revealed to him the answer: "Layla's position

is exalted above all, for she kept the secrets of Love concealed

within."