Manifestations of Coquetry and Devotion in Nizami’s Layla and Majnun

Abstract

Lyric literature is one of the oldest and most delicate branches of Persian poetry, in which human emotion, imagination, and affection are manifested through a poetic and musical form. This literary genre serves as the language of the heart and the mirror of humanity’s inner passion, finding expression in themes such as love, separation, longing, sorrow, hope, and supplication. Among the lyrical masterpieces of Persian literature, Nizami Ganjavi’s Layla and Majnun occupies a distinguished position because Nizami elevates earthly love to a divine and mystical level, transforming the relationship between lover and beloved into a symbol of humanity’s connection with truth and the Divine Beloved. In this work, the two fundamental concepts of “coquetry” (naz) and “devotion” (niyaz) constitute the foundation of the story’s emotional and spiritual movement. Naz represents the beloved’s dignity, modesty, and rationality; a form of withdrawal that intensifies the lover’s longing and enhances the sanctity of love. In contrast, niyaz reflects the lover’s surrender, self-sacrifice, and humility, through which, by means of suffering and yearning, a deeper understanding of love and self-knowledge is attained. Employing a descriptive-analytical method and content analysis, this study examines the manifestations of naz and niyaz within the verbal, behavioral, intellectual, and mystical dimensions of Layla and Majnun. The findings demonstrate that Layla’s naz is not a sign of indifference, but rather an expression of wisdom, chastity, and feminine self-awareness, while Majnun’s niyaz does not arise from weakness, but from mystical passion and the desire for annihilation in the beloved. Through the interaction of these two opposing forces, Nizami constructs an image of ideal love in which human beings, through the passage from naz to niyaz, transcend earthly affection and attain spiritual illumination. Thus, Layla and Majnun represents a synthesis of Persian lyrical literature and a manifestation of the interconnection among reason, emotion, mysticism, and ethics in Persian poetry.