Once upon a time in the mystic land
Of mountains, forests and caravans,
A tale was woven to be told beyond lives
Of two people from different tribes.
There was Qais, naughty and flamboyant
A rebel heart, pure soul, misunderstood
Apple of his father's eyes.
Pampered rotten he would often
Refuse to take his lessons.
There was Layli, beautifully gracious
Chieftain's daughter, always obedient
Eager to learn, eager to know
She joined the lessons
Where Qais would go.
A strict teacher, two young souls
Eyes met in a recognition age-old.
Beyond this story, beyond this time
They knew each other in realms divine;
As if their book of love
Was written beyond Time.
Punished by the teacher, they would run,
Qais took her hand and led her to fun.
He would often sit alone and stare
At the mountains, beyond the village
At the river, forests and foliage.
Intrigued by the lesson from him
Layli forgot the classroom limits.
The mountain called, the river sang
As Layli in the meadows danced.
Soon the villagers gossiped and laughed
In the innocent play they took part;
The society that didn't understand
Judged the precious bond
That Qais and Layli had.
Tribes clashed, fathers disapproved
As Qais waited for Layli in school.
Soon he was in the mountains alone
Imagining their conversation, sitting forelorn.
He talked to Layli in his head,
Sometimes aloud in poems he read.
He imagined her in childish innocence
Dancing in the meadows giggling to herself.
Rumour mills started to rise
Qais was a rebel, Qais wasn't wise.
He roamed the forest and mountains beyond
Like a madman, lovelorn.
He talked to himself, he made poetry
His words made no sense to those listening.
Defeated by his son's plight, Qais's father thought it right
To find him a perfect bride.
No face more perfect than Layli's face
No hair that reminded of the river's grace,
Hearing his son's praise, the father stood at Layli's doorstep.
Unfortunately, her father had heard
The mad rebel that Qais was.
He vowed to find her the best groom
As Layli begged and pleaded
But was locked in a room.
On the occasion of Layli's wedding
Qais's father took him to the holy land
But Qais wasn't interested
Beyond the mountain and poetry
Where he could meet his Layli.
When his father reminded him of God
Qais said he was always above
Around and in them all,
Why look for him in a shrine and four walls?
His heart has transformed in a Sufi sense.
Unable to understand this feeling and pain
Qais looked for answers around him in vain.
He called the Beloved asking for clarity,
Soon he called Layli by her name
But in her image he put God's frame.
God became Love, and Love God,
He could no longer tell them apart.
His illusions grew leaps and bounds
As he looked for Layli in everyone,
Couples in love, innocent kids, old men
Beautiful maidens indeed.
He looked for her in mountain rocks,
The river meandering, the trees above.
The birds chirping, the rain drops
Qais wandered in search of Love.
Wherever he found a glimpse of it
In the feeling, he found Layli.
In Oneness, with the faith Divine,
Qais emerged saintly, in a new life.
His love grew leaps and bounds
Beyond attraction, identity and logic he found.
The material world could not bind him any longer
Shedding his clothes Qais traveled beyond yonder,
Transforming into Majnun.
Hearing of Majnun's poems of Love
The impressed king came to stop
By Majnu's cave where animals lived
A wolf, a camel or perhaps even a sheep
None of them killed or bit
As if mesmerized by Majnun's preach
And he sat writing poetry as he pleased.
Hearing of Layli's praises the curiosity grew
To see the most beautiful woman the world ever knew.
But to his shock when the King saw Layli
She looked nothing beyond ordinary.
Watching his astonishment Layli smiled
She urged him to see her through Majnu's eyes.
Tragedy struck in Layli's life, as she stood alone
After her husband's demise.
That was when she decided to be brave
Claim her love for Majnun instead.
But when Layli travelled beyond lands
Defying society's scrutinizing glance
Meeting the man she once knew,
Qais was not Majnun, the saintly man
Who claimed to love a Layli with whom he grew.
Her life was selfish, love was a choice
His was a claim he made to God.
Unlike hers, which needed validation
His feelings had pure intentions.
"Who are you?" Majnun had asked
As she sat in his cave, surrounded by onlookers.
"Layli, Qais... Your Layli!" she sobbed
"Do you not recognise me as I have grown up?"
Majnun smiled in a confusing glance,
"If you are Layli, my lady, tell me this,
Who is she who sits and smiles beside me?"
Layli was shocked at the empty rock,
The air around it snatching her existence in a blink.
"And on the leaves, on that bird" he said
In a trance "Aren't they Layli too?
God's favourite in the land?"
“But I am…” she pleaded “Look at me!”
Majnun refused with a smile.
“ I know not who you are, lady
But everywhere there's love
There is Layli.
She is in me, in you, in them."
Layli realised Majnun's love was beyond
The realms of this worldly bindings
And to be with him in his world
She had to leave hers behind.
Layli was looking for Qais,
While Majnun had Layli all along
Such was a difference in their love,
A bridge so inhuman it could never make
The two worlds meet.
Life seemed meaningless for Layli now
Who waited all her life knowing
Qais was there somewhere beyond the mountains
Waiting for her to come to him.
She realised her existence was petty
At the mercy of Qais’s reciprocation.
Today Qais was lost, so was Layli
Majnun survived in his Sufi poetry.
She chose poison, a drink of sin
To embrace love as she had never seen
With her last breath, she knew
She would now be the Layli
Majnun grew attached to.
Beyond a body, beyond a name
A soul floating around Majnun’s prayers
Reliving her of her shame.
A strange longing took over him
As Majnun found himself in a graveyard soon,
Looking around the tombstones there
He found his parents and then her near.
He whispered prayers, like he had sinned
As his hand lingered on her name
As if for a moment he remembered
Everything that Layli was.
He chose a stone and wrote on her grave
His poems of love and longing as he wept.
His tears intoxicated him like wine
Filling his cup in Love divine.
He no longer wanted to stay away
And prayed to be united with his Beloved.
Years later, they would still be seen
Running around the meadows giggling.
Qais and Layli, Layli and Majnun.
One and the same, dancing to the river's music.
Beyond the mountain’s mystic fog
They often appeared to those who were lost
Showing them a way to love and
hope,
Finally free, finally together,
they made a home beyond earthly affairs
And those who knew a love like that
Beyond human reciprocation and farce
Could still meet them on the other side.
Written by Suranya
(23.08.2024)
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