Arabic Love Poetry from the Desert: Majnun Leyla, Arabic Text, Commentary and Translations

The main body of the present book is a presentation of 62 Arabic poems in the original from the 7th century of the work of Qays b. al-Mulawwah (d. 688), also known as Majnün Leyla “the one who was mad about Leyla”. Each Arabic poem has an English translation on the facing page. The English text has footnotes referring to comments that are placed at the end of the work. The poems tell the story of Qays’ love to his cousin, Leyla bint Mahdıy (d. 688), better known as Leyla al-Amirıya, and provide insights into themes that were prevalent in the ashar al-ghazal al-udhrı "platonic or virginal love poems" during the Ummayad era and onwards. A consuming passion emerges from the versions that have inspired countless of people more than 1200 years ago and throughout the centuries. Joyce Akesson has studied the Semitic languages at Lund's University, Sweden and has previously been a lecturer there during many years. She is the author of several books about foreign linguistics, among which