“Layli and Majnun at School”
Fol. 135v from a manuscript of the Khamseh of Nizami
Set in pre-Islamic Arabia, the third poem from Nizami’s quintet, Layli and Majnun, follows the tragic tale of two lovers forced to separate by their families. The period of their initial romance, as schoolmates, is among its most frequently illustrated themes in Nizami manuscripts. In this version, the young sweethearts are seated before an instructor. Subtle details reveal that their curriculum extends beyond reading and writing to encompass lessons of the heart. Disapproving of their union, their families soon prevent them from seeing one another, setting into motion a heartrending tale that ends in tragedy, prompting frequent comparison to Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.