Khosrow and Shirin
Khosrow and Shirin by Nezami Ganjavi is a tragic epic love story presented in a modern-verse English translation by Dick Davis. Published by Penguin Group on April 15, 2025, this edition spans 448 pages and is available in English. The narrative poem, rooted in the historical context of the seventh-century Iranian court, explores the intense romance between Khosrow, an Iranian prince, and Shirin, an Armenian princess, intertwining themes of love, politics, and warfare.
Readers will find a complex portrayal of love that contrasts the notions of possession and unrequited desire, reflecting the multifaceted nature of human relationships. The translation captures the original energy and poetic essence of Nezami’s work, while Davis’s introduction and commentary provide valuable context for both scholars and general readers. This edition of Khosrow and Shirin invites exploration into ancient and medieval literature, offering insights into the enduring themes that resonate through time.
Official synopsis Publisher
A tragic epic love story before Romeo and Juliet, by one of the greatest medieval Persian romance poets, in a modern-verse English translation by Dick Davis
A Penguin Classic
Based on historical characters of the seventh-century Iranian court and written 850 years ago, the narrative poem about Khosrow and Shirin shares a shelf with the most intensely romantic classic stories readers love, from Tristan and Isolde to Layla and Majnun to Romeo and Juliet to Gatsby and Daisy.
The love between an Iranian prince (Khosrow) and an Armenian princess (Shirin) is at the center of this tumultuous tale in which the powers of politics and warfare intertwine with no less powerful forces of erotic desire and the quest for personal and spiritual fulfilment. Theirs is a complex love story based on conflicting concepts of love, one regarding the beloved as a prize to be conquered and possessed, the other unrequited and all-consuming, relishing the very notion of the annihilation of the self through love.
Davis has captured the energy and poetry of Nezami’s original in modern verse. Davis’s introduction and textual commentary further strengthens his translation by providing insightful context for the general reader and scholar alike. Khosrow and Shirin will enchant both the classicist and the general reader, to captivate a new audience for Nezami’s masterpiece.
“Before Romeo and Juliet, there was Khosrow and Shirin. The medieval Persian epic ‘Khosrow and Shirin’ is a rich and gloriously excessive love story”—Michael Dirda, The Washington Post.
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