Section XI
Behold, what clouds of dust emergeFrom the lone desert's distant verge!And, high in dusky eddies driven,Obscure the azure hue of heaven:And now the tramp of steeds is heard,And now the leader's angry word—Now nearer, more distinct they grow—Who is that leader?—friend or foe?Alas! 'tis Lailí's vanquished sire,Returning home, his heart on fire;For though he has survived the blow,He keenly feels his overthrow.His tale is told: some Diw or GhoulHad palsied his intrepid soul,And held his arm by magic foul,Or potion from the enchanter's bowl;Else had he driven, with easy hand,The miscreant Noufal from the land;For when did ever braggart lordFail, but when magic held his sword?
Now, shielded by the harem screen,The sweet Narcissus sad is seen:Listening she hears, disconsolate,Her father's words, which seal her fate;And what has Lailí now to bear,But loneliness, reproach, despair,With no congenial spirit to impartOne single solace to her bursting heart!
Meanwhile the spicy gale on every sideWafts the high vaunting of her beauty's prideThrough all the neighbouring tribes, and more remoteHer name is whispered and her favour sought.Suitors with various claims appear—the great,The rich, the powerful—all impatient waitTo know for whom the father keeps that rareBut fragile crystal with such watchful care.Her charms eclipse all others of her sex,Given to be loved, but rival hearts to vex;For when the lamp of joy illumes her cheeks,The lover smiles, and yet his heart it breaks:The full-blown rose thus sheds its fragrance round;But there are thorns, not given to charm, but wound.Among the rest that stripling came,Who had before avowed his flame;His cheerful aspect seemed to say,For him was fixed the nuptial-day.
His offerings are magnificent;Garments embroidered every fold,And rarest gems, to win consent,And carpets worked with silk and gold:Amber, and pearls, and rubies bright,And bags of musk, attract the sight;And camels of unequalled speed,And ambling nags of purest breed;—These (resting for a while) he sendsBefore him, and instructs his friends,With all the eloquence and powerPersuasion brings in favouring hour,To magnify his worth, and proveThat he alone deserves her love.—'A youth of royal presence, Yemen's boast,Fierce as a lion, mighty as a host;Of boundless wealth, and valour's self, he wieldsHis conquering sword amid embattled fields.Call ye for blood? 'tis shed by his own hand.Call ye for gold? he scatters it like sand.'
And when the flowers of speech their scent had shed,Diffusing honours round the suitor's head;Exalting him to more than mortal worth,In person manly, noble in his birth;The sire of Lailí seemed oppressed with thought,As if with some repulsive feeling fraught;Yet promptly was the answer given—he soonDecreed the fate of Yemen's splendid moon;Saddled the steed of his desire, in sooth,Flung his own offspring in the dragon's mouth.Forthwith the nuptial pomp, the nuptial rites,Engage the chieftain's household—every squareRings with the rattling drums whose noise excitesMore deafening clamour through the wide bazár.The pipe and cymbal, shrill and loud,Delight the gay assembled crowd;And all is mirth and jollity,With song, and dance, and revelry.But Lailí mournful sits apart,The shaft of misery through her heart;And black portentous clouds are seenDarkening her soft expressive mien;Her bosom swells with heavy sighs,Tears gush from those heart-winning eyes,Where Love's triumphant witchery lies.In blooming spring a withered leaf,She droops in agony of grief;Loving her own—her only one—Loving Majnún, and him alone;All else from her affections gone;And to be joined, in a moment's breath,To another!—Death, and worse than death!
Soon as the sparkling stars of nightHad disappeared, and floods of lightShed from the morn's refulgent beamEmpurpled Dijla's rolling stream,The bridegroom, joyous, rose to seeThe bride equipped as bride should be:The litter and the golden throne,Prepared for her to rest upon:But what avails the tenderest care,The fondest love, when dark despairAnd utter hatred fill the breastOf her to whom that fondness is addressed?Quickly her sharp disdain the bridegroom feels,And from her scornful presence shrinks and reels:A solemn oath she takes, and cries,With frenzy flashing from her eyes,'Hopest thou I ever shall be thine?It is my father's will, not mine!Rather than be that thing abhorred,My life-blood shall distain thy sword.Away! nor longer seek to gainA heart foredoomed to endless pain;A heart, no power of thine can move;A bleeding heart, which scorns thy love!'
When Ibn Salám her frenzied look beheld,And heard her vows, his cherished hopes were quelled.He soon perceived what art had been employed,—All his bright visions faded and destroyed;—And found, when love has turned a maiden's brain,Father and mother urge their power in vain.
Words in this poem 35
- lone n.
- A lane. See Loanin.
- angry a.
- Troublesome; vexatious; rigorous. [See Anger.]
- sire n.
- A lord, master, or other person in authority. See Sir. [F. sire, originally, an older person. See Sir.]
- keenly adv.
- In a keen manner.
- ghoul n.
- An imaginary evil being among Eastern nations, which was supposed to feed upon human bodies. Moore. [Per. gh an imaginary sylvan demon, supposed to devour men and animals: cf. Ar. gh, F. goule.]
- palsied a.
- Affected with palsy; paralyzed.
- miscreant n.
- One who holds a false religious faith; a misbeliever. [OF. mescreant, F. mécréant; pref. mes- (L. minus less) + p. pr. fr. L. credere to believe. See Creed.]
- harem n.
- The apartments or portion of the house allotted to females in Mohammedan families. [Ar.haram, orig., anything forbidden of sacred, fr. harama to forbid, prohibit.]
- narcissus n.
- A genus of endogenous bulbous plants with handsome flowers, having a cup-shaped crown within the six-lobed perianth, and comprising the daffodils and jonquils of several kinds. [L. narcissus, and (personified) Narcissus, Gr. na`rkissos, Na`rkissos, fr. na`rkh torpor, in allusion to the narcotic properties of the flower. Cf. Narcotic.]
- disconsolate n.
- Disconsolateness. Barrow.
- loneliness n.
- The condition of being lonely; solitude; seclusion.
- solace n.
- Comfort in grief; alleviation of grief or anxiety; also, that which relieves in distress; that which cheers or consoles; relief. [OF. solas, ssoulaz, L. solacium, solatium, fr. solari to comfort, console. Cf. Console, v. t.]
- meanwhile n.
- The intervening time; as, in the meantime (or mean time).
- neighbouring a.
- Living or being near; adjacent; as, the neighboring nations or countries.
- favour n.
- Kind regard; propitious aspect; countenance; friendly disposition; kindness; good will. [Written also favour.]
- stripling n.
- A youth in the state of adolescence, or just passing from boyhood to manhood; a lad. [Dim. of strip; as if a small strip from the main stock or steam.]
- wealth n.
- Weal; welfare; prosperity; good. [OE. welthe, from wele; cf. D. weelde luxury. See Weal prosperity.]
- amid prep.
- In the midst or middle of; surrounded or encompassed by; among. [OE. amidde, amiddes, on midden, AS. on middan, in the middle, fr. midde the middle. The s is an adverbial ending, originally marking the genitive; the t is a la]
- embattled a.
- Having indentations like a battlement.
- fraught n.
- A freight; a cargo. [OE.fraight, fraght; akin to Dan. fragt, Sw. frakt, D. vracht, G. fracht, cf. OHG. fr merit, reward; perh. from corresponding to E. for + The root of E. own. Cf.]
- promptly adv.
- In a prompt manner.
- saddled a.
- Having a broad patch of color across the back, like a saddle; saddle-backed.
- steed n.
- A horse, especially a spirited horse for state of war; -- used chiefly in poetry or stately prose. [OE. stede, AS. steda a stud-horse, war horse, fr. stod a stud of breeding steeds; akin to G. stute a mare, Icel. stedda, sto, a stud. *163. See Stud of horses.]
- sooth a.
- True; faithful; trustworthy. [OE. soth, AS. s, for san; akin to OS. s, OHG. sand, Icel. sannr, Sw. sann, Dan. sand, Skr. sat, sant, real, genuine, present, being; properly p. pr. from a root]
- forthwith adv.
- Immediately; without delay; directly.
- deafening n.
- The act or process of rendering impervious to sound, as a floor or wall; also, the material with which the spaces are filled in this process; pugging.
- clamour n.
- A great outcry or vociferation; loud and continued shouting or exclamation. [OF. clamour, clamur, F. clameur, fr. L. clamor, fr. clamare to cry out. See Claim.]
- cymbal n.
- A musical instrument used by the ancients. It is supposed to have been similar to the modern kettle drum, though perhaps smaller. [OE. cimbale, simbale, OF. cimbale, F. cymbale, L. cymbalum, fr. Gr. kubha pot. Cf. Chime.]
- portentous a.
- Of the nature of a portent; containing portents; foreschadowing, esp. foreschadowing ill; ominous. [L. portentosus.]
- witchery
- Sorcery; enchantment; witchcraft.
- refulgent a.
- Casting a bright light; radiant; brilliant; resplendent; shining; splendid; as, refulgent beams. [L. refulgens, p. pr. of refulgere to flash back, to shine bright; pref. re- re- + fulgere to shine. See Fulgent.]
- bridegroom n.
- A man newly married, or just about to be married. [OE. bridegome, brudgume, AS. br (akin to OS. br, D. bruidegom, bruigom, OHG. pr, MHG. briutegome, G. bräutigam); AS. br bride + guma man, akin to Goth. guma, Ic]
- fondness n.
- The quality or state of being fond; foolishness.
- shall v. i.
- To owe; to be under obligation for. [OE. shal, schal, imp. sholde, scholde, AS. scal, sceal, I am obliged, imp. scolde, sceolde, inf. sculan; akin to OS. skulan, pres. skal, imp. skolda, D. zullen,]
- distain v. t.
- To tinge with a different color from the natural or proper one; to stain; to discolor; to sully; to tarnish; to defile; -- used chiefly in poetry. [OE. desteinen, OF. desteindre to take away the color, F. déteindre; pref. des- (L. dis-) + F. teindre to tinge, dye, L. tingere. See Tinge, and cf. Stain.]
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
Section XI is in the public domain. This text is taken from The Loves of Laili and Majnun: A Poem from the Original Persian of Nizami, by James Atkinson, edited by the Rev. J. A. Atkinson (London: David Nutt, 1894), reprinting the Oriental Translation Fund edition of 1836, Internet Archive, the James Atkinson translation; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.
Cite as: Nizami Ganjavi, Section XI, in The Loves of Laili and Majnun (1836), text of Internet Archive, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/nizami-laili-and-majnun/section-xi.html, id L29218.
Form and metre
Section XI is 128 lines in 7 verse paragraphs. It is in rhyming couplets, 81% of the lines: octosyllabic couplets. The metre is iambic tetrameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 90%).
See other poems in octosyllabic couplets, other poems in iambic tetrameter.
Measured by Laurel's pipeline, not copied from a handbook: how stress and metre are counted, how rhyme is lettered, how a drifted rhyme is found. Where the dictionary cannot confirm a rhyme the letter is withheld, not guessed.
Rhyme words, stanza by stanza
The word that ends each line, lettered by the rhyme it makes; a dash is a line whose rhyme the dictionary could not confirm.
- 1 AA--BBCCDDCC-E-EFFGG emergeA · vergeA · driven · heaven · heardB · wordB · growC · foeC · sireD · fireD · blowC · overthrowC · ghoul · soulE · foul · bowlE · handF · landF · lordG · swordG
- 2 AA--BBCC screenA · seenA · disconsolate · fate · bearB · despairB · impartC · heartC
- 3 AABBCCDDEEFFGGHHII sideA · prideA · remoteB · soughtB · greatC · waitC · rareD · careD · sexE · vexE · cheeksF · breaksF · roundG · woundG · cameH · flameH · sayI · dayI
- 4 ABABCCDDEEFFGGHHIIJJ magnificentA · foldB · consentA · goldB · brightC · sightC · speedD · breedD · sendsE · friendsE · powerF · hourF · proveG · loveG · boastH · hostH · wieldsI · fieldsI · handJ · sandJ
- 5 AABBCCDDEEF-F-GG--HHIIJJJKK---LL shedA · headA · worthB · birthB · thoughtC · fraughtC · soonD · moonD · soothE · mouthE · ritesF · square · excitesF · bazár · loudG · crowdG · jollity · revelry · apartH · heartH · seenI · mienI · sighsJ · eyesJ · liesJ · leafK · griefK · one · alone · gone · breathL · deathL
- 6 AABBCCDDEEFFGGHHIIJJKKLL nightA · lightA · beamB · streamB · seeC · beC · throneD · uponD · careE · despairE · breastF · addressedF · feelsG · reelsG · criesH · eyesH · thineI · mineI · abhorredJ · swordJ · gainK · painK · moveL · loveL
- 7 AABBCC beheldA · quelledA · employedB · destroyedB · brainC · vainC
Scansion, line by line
Each line with its syllable count and the stresses the words themselves fix: / stressed, ˘ unstressed, · a syllable the word leaves free and the metre decides. Read against iambic tetrameter. How this is done.
| Line | Syl. | Stress |
|---|---|---|
| Behold, what clouds of dust emerge | 8 | ˘/····˘/ |
| From the lone desert's distant verge! | 8 | ···/˘/˘· |
| And, high in dusky eddies driven, | 9 | ···/˘/˘/˘ |
| Obscure the azure hue of heaven: | 9 | ˘/·/˘··/˘ |
| And now the tramp of steeds is heard, | 8 | ········ |
| And now the leader's angry word— | 8 | ···/˘/˘· |
| Now nearer, more distinct they grow— | 8 | ·/˘·˘/·· |
| Who is that leader?—friend or foe? | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| Alas! 'tis Lailí's vanquished sire, | 8 | ˘/··/˘/˘ |
| Returning home, his heart on fire; | 9 | ˘/˘····/˘ |
| For though he has survived the blow, | 8 | ····˘/·· |
| He keenly feels his overthrow. | 8 | ·/˘··/˘· |
| His tale is told: some Diw or Ghoul | 8 | ········ |
| Had palsied his intrepid soul, | 8 | ·/˘·˘/˘· |
| And held his arm by magic foul, | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| Or potion from the enchanter's bowl; | 9 | ·/˘··˘/˘· |
| Else had he driven, with easy hand, | 8 | ···/·/˘· |
| The miscreant Noufal from the land; | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| For when did ever braggart lord | 8 | ···/˘/˘· |
| Fail, but when magic held his sword? | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| Now, shielded by the harem screen, | 8 | ·/˘··/˘· |
| The sweet Narcissus sad is seen: | 8 | ··˘/˘··· |
| Listening she hears, disconsolate, | 9 | /˘˘··˘/˘˘ |
| Her father's words, which seal her fate; | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| And what has Lailí now to bear, | 7 | ······· |
| But loneliness, reproach, despair, | 8 | ·/˘˘˘/˘/ |
| With no congenial spirit to impart | 9 | ··˘/˘/·˘/ |
| One single solace to her bursting heart! | 10 | ·/˘/˘··/˘· |
| Meanwhile the spicy gale on every side | 10 | /··/˘··/˘· |
| Wafts the high vaunting of her beauty's pride | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| Through all the neighbouring tribes, and more remote | 10 | ···/˘···˘/ |
| Her name is whispered and her favour sought. | 10 | ···/˘··/˘· |
| Suitors with various claims appear—the great, | 10 | /˘·/˘·˘/·· |
| The rich, the powerful—all impatient wait | 10 | ···/˘·˘/˘· |
| To know for whom the father keeps that rare | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| But fragile crystal with such watchful care. | 10 | ·/˘/˘··/˘· |
| Her charms eclipse all others of her sex, | 10 | ··˘/·/˘··· |
| Given to be loved, but rival hearts to vex; | 10 | /····/˘··· |
| For when the lamp of joy illumes her cheeks, | 10 | ·········· |
| The lover smiles, and yet his heart it breaks: | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| The full-blown rose thus sheds its fragrance round; | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| But there are thorns, not given to charm, but wound. | 10 | ·····/···· |
| Among the rest that stripling came, | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| Who had before avowed his flame; | 8 | ····˘/·· |
| His cheerful aspect seemed to say, | 8 | ·/˘/···· |
| For him was fixed the nuptial-day. | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| His offerings are magnificent; | 9 | ·/˘˘·˘/˘˘ |
| Garments embroidered every fold, | 8 | /˘˘/˘/˘· |
| And rarest gems, to win consent, | 8 | ·/˘···˘/ |
| And carpets worked with silk and gold: | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| Amber, and pearls, and rubies bright, | 8 | /˘···/˘· |
| And bags of musk, attract the sight; | 8 | ····˘/·· |
| And camels of unequalled speed, | 8 | ·/˘·˘/˘· |
| And ambling nags of purest breed;— | 8 | ·/˘··/˘· |
| These (resting for a while) he sends | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| Before him, and instructs his friends, | 8 | ····˘/·· |
| With all the eloquence and power | 9 | ···/˘˘·/˘ |
| Persuasion brings in favouring hour, | 8 | ˘/˘··/˘/ |
| To magnify his worth, and prove | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| That he alone deserves her love.— | 8 | ··˘/˘/·· |
| 'A youth of royal presence, Yemen's boast, | 10 | ···/˘/˘/˘· |
| Fierce as a lion, mighty as a host; | 9 | ···//˘··· |
| Of boundless wealth, and valour's self, he wields | 10 | ·/˘··/˘··· |
| His conquering sword amid embattled fields. | 10 | ·/˘·˘/˘/˘· |
| Call ye for blood? 'tis shed by his own hand. | 10 | ·········· |
| Call ye for gold? he scatters it like sand.' | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| And when the flowers of speech their scent had shed, | 10 | ···/······ |
| Diffusing honours round the suitor's head; | 10 | ˘/˘/˘··/˘· |
| Exalting him to more than mortal worth, | 10 | ˘/˘····/˘· |
| In person manly, noble in his birth; | 10 | ·/˘/˘/˘··· |
| The sire of Lailí seemed oppressed with thought, | 9 | ·/···˘/·· |
| As if with some repulsive feeling fraught; | 10 | ····˘/˘/˘· |
| Yet promptly was the answer given—he soon | 10 | ·/˘··/˘/·· |
| Decreed the fate of Yemen's splendid moon; | 10 | ˘/···/˘/˘· |
| Saddled the steed of his desire, in sooth, | 10 | /˘····˘/·· |
| Flung his own offspring in the dragon's mouth. | 10 | ···/···/˘· |
| Forthwith the nuptial pomp, the nuptial rites, | 10 | //·/˘··/˘· |
| Engage the chieftain's household—every square | 10 | ˘/·/˘/·/˘· |
| Rings with the rattling drums whose noise excites | 10 | ···/˘···˘/ |
| More deafening clamour through the wide bazár. | 10 | ·/˘/˘····· |
| The pipe and cymbal, shrill and loud, | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| Delight the gay assembled crowd; | 8 | ˘/··˘/˘· |
| And all is mirth and jollity, | 8 | ·····/˘˘ |
| With song, and dance, and revelry. | 8 | ·····/˘˘ |
| But Lailí mournful sits apart, | 7 | ··/˘·˘/ |
| The shaft of misery through her heart; | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| And black portentous clouds are seen | 8 | ··˘/˘··· |
| Darkening her soft expressive mien; | 8 | /˘··˘/˘· |
| Her bosom swells with heavy sighs, | 8 | ·/˘··/˘· |
| Tears gush from those heart-winning eyes, | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| Where Love's triumphant witchery lies. | 9 | ··˘/˘/˘˘· |
| In blooming spring a withered leaf, | 8 | ·/˘··/˘· |
| She droops in agony of grief; | 8 | ···/˘˘·· |
| Loving her own—her only one— | 8 | /˘···/˘· |
| Loving Majnún, and him alone; | 8 | /˘····˘/ |
| All else from her affections gone; | 8 | ····˘/˘· |
| And to be joined, in a moment's breath, | 9 | ······/˘· |
| To another!—Death, and worse than death! | 9 | ·˘/˘····· |
| Soon as the sparkling stars of night | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| Had disappeared, and floods of light | 8 | ··˘/···· |
| Shed from the morn's refulgent beam | 8 | ····˘/˘· |
| Empurpled Dijla's rolling stream, | 7 | ····/˘· |
| The bridegroom, joyous, rose to see | 8 | ·/·/˘··· |
| The bride equipped as bride should be: | 8 | ··˘/···· |
| The litter and the golden throne, | 8 | ·/˘··/˘· |
| Prepared for her to rest upon: | 8 | ˘/······ |
| But what avails the tenderest care, | 8 | ··˘/·/˘· |
| The fondest love, when dark despair | 8 | ·/˘···˘/ |
| And utter hatred fill the breast | 8 | ·/˘/˘··· |
| Of her to whom that fondness is addressed? | 10 | ·····/˘·˘/ |
| Quickly her sharp disdain the bridegroom feels, | 10 | /˘··˘/·/·· |
| And from her scornful presence shrinks and reels: | 10 | ···/˘/˘··· |
| A solemn oath she takes, and cries, | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| With frenzy flashing from her eyes, | 8 | ·/˘/˘··· |
| 'Hopest thou I ever shall be thine? | 8 | ····/··· |
| It is my father's will, not mine! | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| Rather than be that thing abhorred, | 8 | /˘····˘/ |
| My life-blood shall distain thy sword. | 8 | ····˘/·· |
| Away! nor longer seek to gain | 8 | ˘/·/˘··· |
| A heart foredoomed to endless pain; | 9 | ······/˘· |
| A heart, no power of thine can move; | 8 | ···/···· |
| A bleeding heart, which scorns thy love!' | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| When Ibn Salám her frenzied look beheld, | 10 | ·/˘··/˘·˘/ |
| And heard her vows, his cherished hopes were quelled. | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| He soon perceived what art had been employed,— | 10 | ··˘/····˘/ |
| All his bright visions faded and destroyed;— | 10 | ···/˘/˘·˘/ |
| And found, when love has turned a maiden's brain, | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| Father and mother urge their power in vain. | 10 | /˘·/˘··/·· |
The reader shows the same poem with its rhymes coloured and a stress row above each line, the notes beside their stanzas, and any word's definition on a tap; the analysis page takes the whole book apart. How every part of this site was made.