Ghazals

[snowgrouse]

Been reading yet more on ghazals. It's fascinating how a medieval Persian form of poetry (one that continues to this day) has so many similarities with fanfic, in its way. Here are some excerpts of emails I sent to versaphile today, slightly edited.

I have just been reading about iham, the concept of multiple layers of symbolism in Persian poetry

Comments

[kalypso_v]

They sound very like The Song of Solomon; I expect they come from the same tradition.

[snowgrouse]

Very much so, I'm sure. Islamic mysticism is pretty big on Solomon.

[kalypso_v]

"The song of songs, which is Solomon's. Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine..."

But it does go on a lot about gazelles, too.

[snowgrouse]

I like the bit where boobs are referred to gazelles. Or some other animals, in case I'm misremembering. But in any case, yeah, it's interesting how both the Song of Solomon and Sufi poetry are often seen as a love song between God and one of his worshippers and so on. That tradition definitely goes back all the way to Sumer.

[amberite]

Heh. One of the many ways in which Jewish culture and other Middle Eastern cultures are similar deep down.

[snowgrouse]

Yeah. This goes all the way to Ishtar/Tammuz, baby.