Note 53 — HISTORY OF NASSAR, THE SON OF KHOJA HUMAYUN, THE MERCHANT OF BAGHDAD. (continued 2)

The loves of Laylá and Majnún—the Romeo and Juliet of the East—have formed the theme of several very beautiful Persian and Turkish poems. Majnún (which means “mad from love:” his proper name was Kays) was the son of an Arab chief and deeply enamoured of a maiden of another tribe; and on her being married to a foreign and wealthy suitor he became distraught, and fled to the wilderness. When Laylá became a widow and met her lover once more she found him a raving maniac and died soon after. Majnún expired on her tomb.