There is no denying that things of beauty, if in the lovely shape of a pretty woman walking on a street or a beautiful painting hanging on a wall, are indeed things of joy forever depending on the subjectivity of a mind. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, which reminded me of one of the greatest love stories of Laila and Majnoon in The Arabian Nights.
Majnoon was a handsome prince who fell deeply in love with a poor girl of very ordinary looks and of darkish complexion. He could not live without her and lost interest in everything else in life, and wandered around in a daze for his love. The king was annoyed and on his orders, Laila was arrested and brought before a qazi (judge) who accused her of misleading and misguiding the prince into bewilderment, and said to her in Persian, “Az deegar khoobaan, tu afzoon neesti,” meaning, “Oh girl, you are so plain-looking and there are girls out there exquisitely beautiful. What magic have you played on Majnoon that he has lost his mind and existence for you?” Laila replied to the judge, “Sir, you would not not understand, deedea Majnoon ger boode tura, herr doo alam beykhtar boode tura,” meaning, “If you look at me with the eyes of Majnoon, you will find the answer.” It is true that our eyes sometimes tell us something that is unexplainable or undescribable in written or spoken words.
Majnoon was a handsome prince who fell deeply in love with a poor girl of very ordinary looks and of darkish complexion. He could not live without her and lost interest in everything else in life, and wandered around in a daze for his love. The king was annoyed and on his orders, Laila was arrested and brought before a qazi (judge) who accused her of misleading and misguiding the prince into bewilderment, and said to her in Persian, “Az deegar khoobaan, tu afzoon neesti,” meaning, “Oh girl, you are so plain-looking and there are girls out there exquisitely beautiful. What magic have you played on Majnoon that he has lost his mind and existence for you?” Laila replied to the judge, “Sir, you would not not understand, deedea Majnoon ger boode tura, herr doo alam beykhtar boode tura,” meaning, “If you look at me with the eyes of Majnoon, you will find the answer.” It is true that our eyes sometimes tell us something that is unexplainable or undescribable in written or spoken words.
