The Book of Majnun

THE BOOK OF MAJNUN Translation & Introduction Paul Smith Majnun was a real person! Qays Ibn al-Mulawwah (Majnun='madman) was a youth, a Bedouin poet in the seventh century of the Bani Amir tribe in the Najd desert in Arabia. He fell in love with Layla from the same tribe whom he was denied. (It is said that Shakespeare was inspired by their tale for Romeo & Juliet from their tragic love story). Most of his recorded poetry was composed before his descent into love-madness (mast) then through...