The Story of Leyla and Majnun
A beautiful work that stands as a milestone in Turkish literature, the story of Leyla and Majnun emerges as a result of an academic study. The introduction section of the book, which comprises 50 pages, provides valuable insights about the origins of the story and its trajectory in literary works of different nations. For instance, in Iranian literature, the love of Majnun for Leyla is described as “divine love” in a different manner. In this book, we find detailed explanations about the different authors and textual structures of the “Leyla and Majnun” story in Arab, Persian, Urdu, and Turkish literature.
In the literature of Iran, after Leyla and Majnun are separated, when Majnun’s love turns into divine love, Leyla searches for Majnun in the mountains and deserts but cannot see the same affection from him. Shortly after, she dies of grief. Majnun, grieving her loss, dies upon her grave and is buried next to her. Another version in Iranian literature depicts a scene where a Bedouin traveling through the desert finds Majnun with a fawn in his lap, having passed away. He informs Leyla of this tragic sight. Leyla also arrives at his grave after his death and passes away there, mourning his loss. Yet another version presents a different ending, where Nevfel, initially intending to fight Majnun to take Leyla, falls in love with her and attempts to remove Majnun from the picture. However, after he himself dies from the poison he prepares, Majnun dies in the deserts as well. The story concludes with pilgrims returning from Hajj finding Majnun’s body and burying him, marking a different ending to this tale.
In Turkish literature, Fuzuli’s story of Leyla and Majnun represents divine love, the true course and return to the essence of love, and the struggle against the self as one of the most beautiful examples. The book I read was published by “Büyüyen Ay Yayınları”. Except for a few instances, I did not come across any spelling mistakes. I obtained the book from Hezarfen Kitabevi in Uskudar, from our elder brother Ömer Furkan Tepe. As I am writing these lines, I checked the publication date and found that it was first published in 2015, which is quite a while ago. Without going too far off from the book, I would like to mention that unfortunately, I do not see significant efforts from the Turkish academia, particularly from our young colleagues, in publishing literary, historical, and social works for reading. Although the book I read is already a great classic, it could have been even more beautiful if it had been prepared as a literary work again. The gratitude, preface, and introduction sections could have been kept short, and a better work could have been done in the literary part. To reach more people, greater efforts could be made in these matters without compromising on quality.
When it comes to the work and the prepared story, Majnun is born as the son of a chieftain of an Arab tribe. As the only child of this family, after the prayers and supplications to God by the chieftain and his wife for not having any children, Majnun, who grows up as a courageous young man in terms of his appearance, stature, beauty, and kindness, is given the name “Qays”. Despite his wealth and good character, Majnun falls in love with Leyla, the daughter of another tribe. Although Leyla is asked for by her father, the considerations of tribal interests and the reluctance to give the girl to another tribe do not unite this couple. When Leyla becomes aware of Majnun’s love, she falls in love with him as well. The difficulties in bringing this couple together will continue the grief and sorrow, and tears will never cease. Fearing his family, Leyla’s sufferings aside, Majnun will be taken to Hajj, and his father will ask him to pray for his deliverance from this love. In return, Majnun will ask for Leyla in his prayers during Hajj. Majnun’s state and his wandering around his tribe will lead to him being attacked, saving his father and his tribe. Majnun’s recited verses will be carried to Leyla by the wind, and Leyla’s scent will also reach Majnun by the same wind.
Not being allowed near Leyla’s tribe due to the events that unfold, Majnun will no longer be able to even catch her scent, let alone love the animals that come out of her tribe, such as cats and dogs, perhaps Leyla also loved them. Sorrow, distress, grief, longing will lead Majnun back to the deserts, where he will make wild animals his friends. Majnun will bond with them through a relationship of kindness and compassion. The animals will walk with him, rest with him, and sleep with him. During this time, Leyla will be married to a brave man named Ibn Salam and will go through various events… After many other events, Leyla and Majnun will come very close to reuniting with each other…
But it is the divine decree… After Nevfel and his army’s victory and the failure to fulfill the promise given to Majnun, the words that flow from Leyla’s heart summarize our story. “From now on, Majnun and I cannot be united, and longing will last until the Day of Judgment,” she said. Indeed, longing will last until the end of time, Leyla will fall ill and pass away. Upon learning this, Majnun will wait for a long time at Leyla’s grave, and not long after, he will also pass away from sorrow and grief… This is such a painful scene that those who realize that something has happened to Majnun from his motionless state will come across a lifeless body. However, when the animals that Majnun had attached to him with kindness and gratitude withdraw, no one will approach his lifeless body. So much so that until there is nothing left of Majnun except for his bones and tattered clothes…
The narrative goes that Zeyd, Majnun’s friend who was burning with the same love affliction, wondered what happened to them in the afterlife. He dreamed one night and witnessed their state. Leyla and Majnun were sitting by the water in a well-maintained garden full of flowing water like the water of life, various trees, and flowers, with stones of precious gems, and the earth emitting the fragrance of musk and amber. They were happily having sweet conversations and drinking the sherbets they offered each other. They also had elderly people serving them. When Zeyd asked the elderly man about the state of Leyla and Majnun in this world of joy, he replied, “These two loyal lovers were unable to reach their desires in the world and never saw a moment of peace. Out of His mercy, the Almighty God deemed them worthy of this state in the afterlife and placed them in paradise, saying, ‘They should enjoy such pleasure and joy.’ Zeyd, waking up from the dream world, would say, “If the poor Majnun and Leyla did not reach each other in this world, then the Lord of the Worlds
