Lisan al-Tayr – Nava’i Masterpiece
The secret behind “Lisan al-Tayr” being a masterpiece is that it has everlasting themes and messages. The poem is about the concept of love, life being fleeting and the process of the soul heading to enlightenment and spiritual fulfillment. The themes are universal and apply to all people irrespective of their cultures and backgrounds and have been appealing to the readers throughout centuries.
“Lisan al-Tayr” is a famous poem written by the great Turkic poet and writer Ali Sher Nava’i. He was a poet, philosopher, statesman and linguist and his works reflected heavily on the Turkic and Persian literature and culture.
“Lisan al-Tayr” is regarded as one of his best works and it is a long poem where the narrator is a nightingale which flies in pursuit of its lover.
The poem has a lyrical beauty and philosophical depth as well as insightful commentary on love, life, and human condition, which is well-known. It remains popular and still read in Turkic and Persian speaking world and is regarded as a classic of Turkic and Persian literature.
Lisan al-Tayr Important Stanzas
It is a long poem, and it is hard to select a few stanzas that can be considered the most significant ones. But these are some of the stanzas which make it interesting or remarkable:
- Oh nightingale, you have left your nest; For love of the rose, the king of all trees; You have abandoned your ease, your security; And the life that was yours for all eternity.
- You have journeyed from one place to another; Endured hardships, faced difficulties untold;You have traversed valleys and climbed hills; All for the sake of the rose, so rare and so bold.
- The nightingale sings of the rose; With a voice both sweet and clear; It tells the story of its love; And the hardships it endures each year.
- The rose and the nightingale are one; Their love is the very essence of life; They are two halves of a single whole; United in love, in joy, and in strife.
- The nightingale sings of the rose; And the rose of the nightingale too; Their love is a message of hope; And a lesson in love for me and for you.
These stanzas give an idea about the ideas and messages of Lisan al-Tayr. The poem uses the image of the nightingale on its trip to investigate the concept of love, the temporality of life and the significance of living here and now.
These lines are gorgeous and touching, and they draw attention to lyrical and philosophical sides of the poem.
Message and Essence of the Poem
It brings a number of significant messages and themes. The notion of love and the extent one can go to get it is one of the best themes. In the poem, the bird, the nightingale symbolizes the human soul and its desire of love and union with the love interest. The other significant theme of the poem is the theme of the impermanence of life and the need to live in the moment.
The path of the nightingale is full of difficulties and pitfalls and yet it does not deviate on its course of searching its beloved. It may be viewed to mean that it is a reminder to keep in mind what one wants to accomplish and achieve in their lives, and not to spend time on distractions and regretting something.
Also, the nature of the existence and human condition is another commentary of “Lisan al-Tayr”. The poem raises the theme of separation and re-uniting, the recurrent life cycle, and the eventual oneness of everything. It teaches the readers to accept the good and bad sides of life and to find a greater meaning of what is surrounding them.
So I can say that, “Lisan al-Tayr” is a rich and multi-layered work that offers a timeless message of love, hope, and wisdom to its readers.
