Before Romeo and Juliet, There Was Laila and Majnu
How an Arab-Persian legend about star-crossed lovers traveled over 2,000 miles — and took root in the Indian subcontinent.
Under the blistering desert sun, a poet wandered. All he could think about was his beloved Laila. Her father had refused to let her marry the “madman,” and now he was unable to live without her.
The man was Qays ibn al-Mulawwah, a real-life medieval Arabian poet, in love with an aristocratic woman. Over time, many around the world would recount his tale, through poetry and prose. Though the story takes place in modern-day Saudi Arabia and is often recounted in Persian, Laila and Majnu’s most ardent admirers today are arguably in South Asia.