An old man recounts that he had married a young woman, adorned his room with flowers, and sat with her in solitude, gazing at her and becoming enamored. He would stay awake through long nights, exchanging jokes and witty remarks in the hope that she would feel at ease and …

I was engaged in a discussion with a group of scholars in the grand mosque of Damascus, when a young man entered and asked: "Is there anyone here who knows Persian?"

Most of them pointed towards me.

I said, "What is the matter?"

He replied, "An old man, a hundred …

There was a pure-hearted and righteous young man
Who was in love with a person of pure beauty.

It is written that they both fell together
Into a whirlpool in the vast sea.

When the sailor came to save him,
So that he would not perish in that perilous moment, …

It is told of the judge of Hamadan that he was infatuated with the son of a blacksmith, and his heart was in the flames of this love. For a long time, he longed for him, searching restlessly and reciting poetry inspired by his situation:

"That tall cypress appeared before …

One of the Arab kings was told about the story of Majnun and Layla and the extent of his madness. They said that despite his great knowledge and eloquence, Majnun had abandoned society and lost his mind, wandering aimlessly in the desert.

The king ordered for Majnun to be brought …

There was a dervish traveling with us in the caravan to Mecca. One of the Arab emirs gave him a hundred dinars to use as a sacrifice for Eid al-Adha. Suddenly, the bandits of the Khafajah tribe attacked the caravan and took everything. The merchants began to cry and plead, …

One year, Sultan Muhammad Khwarazmshah (may God have mercy on him) made peace with the Khitans for a certain reason. I entered the great mosque of Kashgar and saw a young man, a grammarian, of utmost elegance and beauty, so much so that one could say about him:

"Your teacher …

I remember that in my youth, I passed through a street and caught sight of a beautiful face, on a scorching summer day when the heat dried up the mouth and the hot wind boiled the marrow of the bones.

Due to human frailty, I could not bear the midday …

A man had a beautiful young wife who passed away, but her elderly mother, due to the terms of the dowry, remained in his house. The man was deeply troubled by her presence, but saw no way to escape living with her. One day, a group of his acquaintances came …

I had a friend with whom I had traveled for years, shared meals, and established deep bonds of companionship. In the end, for the sake of a small personal gain, he caused me heartache, and our friendship ended. Yet, there was still affection from both sides. I heard that one …

A parrot was placed in a cage with a crow, and the parrot, repulsed by the sight of the crow, was struggling and said: "What an unpleasant face, a detestable form, a cursed appearance, and an awkward figure! O crow of separation, I wish there was a distance between you …

Someone asked one of the scholars: "A man is sitting alone with a beautiful person, the doors are closed, the guards are asleep, his desires are strong, and his passions are overwhelming. As the Arabs say, the date is ripe, and the watchman does not prevent it. Is it possible …