Ask the Author: Ramsay Wood
Answered Questions (6)
Ramsay Wood
Hi Denise,
No, there's no Sanskrit. In the English Vol 2 there's an essay at the end that defines certain Sanskrit words from the earlier versions that began in India.
Best, Ramsay
No, there's no Sanskrit. In the English Vol 2 there's an essay at the end that defines certain Sanskrit words from the earlier versions that began in India.
Best, Ramsay
Ramsay Wood
Sorry about that! I guess yours got lost on its way from the UK to USA - the only one out of the total (what was it?), as it happens. I'll send you another when you respond to my friend email request with your address.
All the best, Ramsay
All the best, Ramsay
Ramsay Wood
Hi Susanne, Sorry I can find neither (a) your question, nor (b) my reply. Want to try again? Ask away.....
Best, Ramsay
Best, Ramsay
Ramsay Wood
Hey, thanks for your message and hospitality, Ms Maldonado! I recently read Miriam Franks "My Innocence Abroad" which describes her amazingly colourful & culture-shocked 1940s childhood while she and her mother were on the run from the Nazis (Spain to France to Morocco to Mexico) surviving by the skin of their teeth:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9...
Her book describes a lot of Mexican street food and scenery which made my mouth water and imagination dazzle with delight.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9...
Her book describes a lot of Mexican street food and scenery which made my mouth water and imagination dazzle with delight.
Ramsay Wood
Thanks for your question.
Depends where/how you define the cultural "start-point" of this collection. If you accept India, then Pancha means "five". Here's the long answer:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panchat...
If you're only tracking the Arabic classic, then you'll see under the above link's subtitle "Mid. Persian and Arabic versions" that Ibn al-Muqaffaʿ (a Persian convert) inserted a new one (making the total six), telling of Dimna's trial.
I wrote about this subject here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
which is also reprinted (with an extra afterword) in
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
Depends where/how you define the cultural "start-point" of this collection. If you accept India, then Pancha means "five". Here's the long answer:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panchat...
If you're only tracking the Arabic classic, then you'll see under the above link's subtitle "Mid. Persian and Arabic versions" that Ibn al-Muqaffaʿ (a Persian convert) inserted a new one (making the total six), telling of Dimna's trial.
I wrote about this subject here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
which is also reprinted (with an extra afterword) in
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
Ramsay Wood
Layla & Majnun — because their story of insanely hopeless love seems more wild, extravagant and terrible even than Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet (composed, as it happens, 400 years after Nizami's poem).
From Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nizami_...
Layli o Majnun(Persian: لیلی و مجنون) "Layla and Majnun" (1192)
A story of Arabic origin which was later absorbed and embellished by the Persians. The poem of 4,600 distichs was dedicated, in 1192, to Abu al-Muzaffar Shirvanshah, who claimed descent from the Sassanid King, whose exploits are reflected in Nezami's "Seven Beauties"(Haft Paykar). The poem is based on the popular Arab legend of ill-starred lovers: the poet Qays falls in love with his cousin Layla, but is prevented from marrying her by Layla's father. Layla's father forbids contact with Qays and Qays becomes obsessed and starts signing of his love for Layla in public. The obsession becomes so severe that he sees and evaluates everything in terms of Layla; hence his sobriquet "the possessed" (Majnun). Realizing that cannot obtain union even when other people intercede for him, he leaves society and roams naked in the desert among the beasts. However the image of Layla was so ingrained in him that he cannot eat or sleep. His only activity becomes composing poetry of longing for Layla. Meanwhile, Layla is married against her will, but she guards her virginity by resisting the advances of her husband. Arranging a secret meeting with Majnun, they meet, but have no physical contact. Rather they recite poetry to each other from a distance. Layla's husband dies eventually which removes the legal obstacles to a licit union. However Majnun is so focused on the ideal picture of Layla in his mind that he had fled to the desert. Layla dies out of grief and is buried in her bridal dress. Hearing this news, Majun rushes to her grave where he instantly dies. They are buried side by side and their grave becomes a site of pilgrimage. Someone dreams that in Paradise they are united and live as a king and queen. Nezami composed his romance at the request of the Shirvanshah Akhsatan. Initially, he doubted that this simple story about the agony and pain of an Arab boy wandering in rough mountains and burning deserts would be a suitable subject for royal court poetry and his cultured audience. It was his son who persuaded him to undertake the project, saying: "wherever tales of love are read, this will add spice to them". Nezami used many Arabic anecdotes in the story but also adds a strong Persian flavor to the legend. He adapted the disconnected stories about Majnun to fit the requirement of a Persian romance.
He Persianises the poem by adding several techniques borrowed from the Persian epic tradition, such as the portrayal of characters, the relationship between characters, description of time and setting, etc. and adapts the disconnected stories to fit the requirements of a Persian romance.
The Story of Layla and Majnun by Nizami, was translated and edited by Dr. Rudolf Gelpke into an English version in collaboration with E. Mattin and G. Hill Omega Publications and published in 1966.A comprehensive analysis in English containing partial translations of Nezami's romance Layla and Majnun examining key themes such as chastity, constancy and suffering through an analysis of the main characters was recently accomplished by Ali Asghar Seyed-Gohrab.
Musical note:
Nezami's story of Layla and Majnun also provided the namesake for a hit single by Eric Clapton, also called "Layla". Recorded with Derek and the Dominos, "Layla" was released on the 1970 album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs. The album was highly influenced by Nezami and his poetry of unrequited love. The fifth song of Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, "I Am Yours", was in fact a Nezami composition, set to music by Clapton.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Layla_a...
From Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nizami_...
Layli o Majnun(Persian: لیلی و مجنون) "Layla and Majnun" (1192)
A story of Arabic origin which was later absorbed and embellished by the Persians. The poem of 4,600 distichs was dedicated, in 1192, to Abu al-Muzaffar Shirvanshah, who claimed descent from the Sassanid King, whose exploits are reflected in Nezami's "Seven Beauties"(Haft Paykar). The poem is based on the popular Arab legend of ill-starred lovers: the poet Qays falls in love with his cousin Layla, but is prevented from marrying her by Layla's father. Layla's father forbids contact with Qays and Qays becomes obsessed and starts signing of his love for Layla in public. The obsession becomes so severe that he sees and evaluates everything in terms of Layla; hence his sobriquet "the possessed" (Majnun). Realizing that cannot obtain union even when other people intercede for him, he leaves society and roams naked in the desert among the beasts. However the image of Layla was so ingrained in him that he cannot eat or sleep. His only activity becomes composing poetry of longing for Layla. Meanwhile, Layla is married against her will, but she guards her virginity by resisting the advances of her husband. Arranging a secret meeting with Majnun, they meet, but have no physical contact. Rather they recite poetry to each other from a distance. Layla's husband dies eventually which removes the legal obstacles to a licit union. However Majnun is so focused on the ideal picture of Layla in his mind that he had fled to the desert. Layla dies out of grief and is buried in her bridal dress. Hearing this news, Majun rushes to her grave where he instantly dies. They are buried side by side and their grave becomes a site of pilgrimage. Someone dreams that in Paradise they are united and live as a king and queen. Nezami composed his romance at the request of the Shirvanshah Akhsatan. Initially, he doubted that this simple story about the agony and pain of an Arab boy wandering in rough mountains and burning deserts would be a suitable subject for royal court poetry and his cultured audience. It was his son who persuaded him to undertake the project, saying: "wherever tales of love are read, this will add spice to them". Nezami used many Arabic anecdotes in the story but also adds a strong Persian flavor to the legend. He adapted the disconnected stories about Majnun to fit the requirement of a Persian romance.
He Persianises the poem by adding several techniques borrowed from the Persian epic tradition, such as the portrayal of characters, the relationship between characters, description of time and setting, etc. and adapts the disconnected stories to fit the requirements of a Persian romance.
The Story of Layla and Majnun by Nizami, was translated and edited by Dr. Rudolf Gelpke into an English version in collaboration with E. Mattin and G. Hill Omega Publications and published in 1966.A comprehensive analysis in English containing partial translations of Nezami's romance Layla and Majnun examining key themes such as chastity, constancy and suffering through an analysis of the main characters was recently accomplished by Ali Asghar Seyed-Gohrab.
Musical note:
Nezami's story of Layla and Majnun also provided the namesake for a hit single by Eric Clapton, also called "Layla". Recorded with Derek and the Dominos, "Layla" was released on the 1970 album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs. The album was highly influenced by Nezami and his poetry of unrequited love. The fifth song of Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, "I Am Yours", was in fact a Nezami composition, set to music by Clapton.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Layla_a...
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