by Nizami of Ganja

Nizami of Ganja (c.1140-c.1209) is the pen-name of Jamal al-Din Abu Muhammad Ilyas. (“Ganja” is the name of the town in Azerbaijan where the author spent most of his life.) In general, Nizami worked independently rather than forming an association with the court of any particular ruler. He did dedicate several of his works to local princes, for which he was compensated by a modest gift or fee. Nizami was orphaned in childhood, yet his poetry gives evidence of an excellent education in a wide range of subjects. He married three times, remaining monogamous each time, despite the allowance in Islam for simultaneous marriage to more than one wife. “Khusraw and Shirin” (also spelled “Khosrow and Shirin”) is one of five romantic poems composed by Nizami for the collection Khamsa (“The Quintet”). Of the five...