Majnun and Layla in the Wilderness; page from a Khamsa of Nizami

This painting shows Layla and Majnun meeting each other in the grove. After Layla was forced by her father to marry Ibn-e Salam, she was still in love with Majnun, thinking of him day and night and shedding tears. One day, Layla sat outside of her house, hoping that someone would bring her a message from Majnun. She saw an old man who told her, “I saw Majnun in the desert. He was eating plants, and animals surrounded him. He has forgotten himself and instead mentions your name wherever he goes.” Layla asked the old man to bring Majnun so she could see him from afar and listen to him recite his love poems. The old man brought Majnun to a grove and he sat down under a palm tree, accompanied by his animals. When the old man brought Layla, she stopped a short distance away, afraid that if she came any closer, she would anger her husband, and she didn’t want to cause Majnun any more pain or sorrow. Majnun fainted from the smell of Layla’s perfume. The old man splashed water on Majnun’s face, and Majnun began reciting:”Where are you, and where am I? Who do you belong to, and do I belong to you? I will not step on any other path except the path of your sorrow. As long as I am sure about your existence and health, I will be at ease and happy. What a good thing it would be if you had passion for me! In my dreams, I see a moonlit night when it’s just you and me in a garden. I will sit with you, tell you love poems and stories in your ear, and make love with you.”After Majnun recited these love poems to Layla, he returned to the desert. Layla returned to her house with sadness, too.