Mahammad Fuzuli (1494-1556)

Mahammad Fuzuli, the poet-philosopher, is one of the founders of the divan genre in the history of Azerbaijani and Turkish literature. He wrote his works in three languages (Turkish, Arabic, Persian) in the genres of ghazal, qasida, musaddas, tarkib-band, tarji-band and rubai.

The poem "Leyli and Majnun", which is regarded as the peak of his creativity, is among the rare pearls of Azerbaijani, Eastern and world poetry. The opera of the same name written by Uzeyir Hajibeyli, the famous Azerbaijani composer and playwright, on the basis of the masterpiece of Fuzuli, is considered to be the First Opera of the Muslim East.

Moreover, “Fuzuli Cantata” was written by the well-known composer Jahangir Jahangirov in 1959, based on the ghazal “My love has tired me of my life – will she not tire of cruelty?”. The ghazal, translated by the British-American historian Bernard Lewis into English, has been included in his book “Music of a Distant Drum: Classical Arabic, Persian, Turkish, and Hebrew Poems”.

 

My love has tired me of my life – will she not tire of cruelty?

My sigh has set the spheres on fire-will not the candle of my

passion burn?

On those faint and fail for her, my love bestows a healing drug

Why does she give none to me; does she not think that I am

sick?

I hid my pain from her. They said tell it to your love.

And if I tell that faithless one - I do not know, will she believe,

or will she not?

In the night of separation, my soul burns, my eyes weep blood.

My cries awaken: does my black fate never wake?

Against the rose of your cheek, red tears stream from my eyes.

Dear lover, this is the time of roses, will not these flowing waters cloud?

It was not I who turned to you but you who drove my sense away.

When the fool who blames me sees you, will he not be put to shame?

Fuzuli is a crazy lover and a byword among folk.

Ask then what kind of love is this – of such a love does he not hire?

 

Here is the link to the song based on this ghazal, which is performed by Azerbaijani singer Shovkat Alakbarova: