Free Layla and Majnun by Nizami

people. And you, in all seriousness, ask me to hand my daughter over to him? My name would be dirt for ever, my honour soiled beyond redemption. You are asking the impossible, sir, and I beg you to desist. Why, I would rather cut off her head with my own sword than give her to Majnun: it would be like feeding my own child to a lion. It is better that she die a quickdeath by my sword than be placed in the jaws of a dragon like Majnun!’
    For a second, the audacity of the old man’s polemic and the violence of his threats stunned Nowfal into silence. Yet he bore no resentment towards the bent figure in the dust before him. Firmly, but politely, he replied, ‘Stand up, old man! Even though I have the upper hand, I do not intend to take your daughter by force. A woman taken by force is like food without salt: I shall take her from you only if you give her willingly.’
    Nowfal’s aides and advisers agreed with him. If Majnun could not have Layla, he had only himself to blame. After all, the whole thing was Majnun’s doing; the blame for the bloodshed was his. And had he not, during the first encounter, taken the side of the enemy and acted treacherously towards those who were fighting for his sake? The very same horseman who had berated Majnun for his behaviour during that first battle now stepped forward and addressed Nowfal.
    ‘The old man is right,’ he said. ‘This fool, Majnun, is a slave to lust. Thoughts of disobedience and rebellion dominate his whole being and he is in no fit state to ask for anyone’s hand in marriage. He is clearly of unsound mind and is not to be trusted. Did we not risk our lives on his account? Were we not ready to fight to the death? In spite of all that, his hope was that the enemy would emerge victorious! On his behalf we presented our bodies as targets for their arrows — arrows that he, in secret, was blessing! No sane man acts in such a way. Look at him, see how he laughswithout reason and cries with no excuse! Even if he were to win Layla, Fate would not bless their union. The man has no redeeming qualities and you, Nowfal, will live to regret ever having come to his aid. The honour and shame so far apportioned are enough: let us cut our losses now and wash our hands of the whole affair.’
    What was Nowfal to do? Layla’s father was inexorable even in defeat; he even enjoyed the support of Nowfal’s men. And given that his own mind was filled with doubts concerning Majnun, Nowfal could hardly blame them.
    And so he decided. Electing to withdraw his request for the spoils of victory, Nowfal signalled to his men to break camp and depart.

Chapter 21
    M ajnun was unable to suppress his anger for long, and they had not travelled far before he turned to Nowfal and began to shout, ‘Do you call yourself a friend? You nurtured my hopes and made them strong like a tree, and now you fell that tree with your own axe. The spoils of victory were yours for the taking. Layla was as good as yours, and thus mine: why did you let her go? Why promise to help me, then turn against me?
    ‘I was like a man dying of thirst: you led me to the banks of the Euphrates and then, before I could drink, you pulled me away and led me back to the scorching heat of the waterless desert wastes! You led me to the table, but you would not let me eat! Why, if you never intended to let me have my treasure, did you show it tome in the first place?’
    Majnun tugged at the reins of his horse and, without taking his leave, galloped off across the sands and into the wilderness. Soon he had disappeared from sight, leaving Nowfal and his men to scratch their heads in amazement.
    A few days after Nowfal had returned to his own land, he formed a search party and went to look for his friend. He was, after all, devoted to Majnun. He wanted to find his friend, to comfort him and tell him how much he loved him, and to reassure him that it had never been his intention to hurt him.
    But of Majnun there was no trace. It was as if