نوع مقاله : علمی-پژوهشی
موضوعات
عنوان مقاله English
نویسندگان English
Abstract
The central theme of the Ghazal is love. To the extent that if this common motif is removed from the structure of the Ghazal, it transforms into a soulless form devoid of an audience. When discussing the Ghazal and lyrical poetry, the lover and the beloved are two inseparable elements. Among these, particularly, the role and presence of the beloved as the main protagonist of the Ghazal is undeniable. The beloved's primary art lies in the ultimate display of allure, charm, and captivating beauty, utilizing all of their inherent capacities. One of these intrinsic capacities of the beloved to influence the lover is their mysterious, eternal power. In this context, the beloved is not that sorceress associated with black, detested, and deadly magic; rather, they are absolute beauty and pure loveliness, whose inherent seductiveness and recourse to enchantment and magic enhance their mysterious appeal. Thus, by showcasing their outward beauties such as eyes, eyebrows, the downy line above the lip, beauty spots, coquetry, and tresses – which are intertwined with enchantment, magical power, and eternal magical elements and acts like illusion, sleep-inducing spells, and silencing spells – the beloved creates a new semantic chain in the realm of literature, gains a stronger hold on the reins of the lover's will, and more powerfully portrays their inherent richness in dominating the lover's being."
Keywords: beloved, magic, witchcraft, curl and amorous glance.
Introduction
Magic, the most ancient form of human beliefs, has been used to exert power or suppress fear and weakness for various purposes and through different methods. In the Avesta and pre-Islamic texts, it primarily refers to black magic. In the expanse of Persian literature as well, magic has been considered an unacceptable and evil phenomenon, often associated with the presence of fairies who, in Zoroastrian literature, are regarded as sorceresses and witches. However, when this very concept becomes an attribute of the beloved, it transforms into a literary element, gains acceptance, and through the poet's imagination and creativity, becomes a manifestation of the beloved's beauty. In the magic attributed to the beloved, not only is its malevolent aspect disregarded, but it is also used as an artistic means to present the inexhaustible source of the beloved's beauty, without which the beloved's artistic appeal would be incomplete.
Materials & Methods
In this research, conducted using a descriptive-analytical and library-based method, by examining the extensive presence of issues related to the beloved's enchantment and magic in the lyrical poetry of Persian literature, the neglected aspects of poetic expression's beauty, utilzing magical elements and acts in the beloved's display – not in the context of evil, but from a new perspective and with an aesthetic approach that greatly enhances the reader's artistic pleasure – have been studied.
Discussion & Result
With a particular power stemming from inherent allure and seductiveness, the beloved seeks to influence the lover's being and bring them under their spiritual dominion. This subtle inrigue, connected to the beloved's outward beauty such as eyes, the downy line above the lip, beauty spots, and tresses, and the movements and states arising from them like coquetry, charm, and graceful demeanor, when combined with elements of enchantment, sorcery, magic, and heir associated aspects, creates a new and exquisite semantic chain. This chain furher highlightsthe wonder of the beloved's ناز (naaz – delicate pride) and دلال (dalaal – coquettishness) and inherent intrigue with greater appeal, showcases the lover's subjugation, and conjures more fantastical images.
In this poetic perspective, the beloved is not only a nimble and powerful enchantress; rather, all their existential beauties, such as eyes, the downy line, beauty spots, lips, and tresses, are linked with a chain of magical acts. It is the beloved who, by resorting to enchantment, sorcery, magic, and magical acts and behaviors like illusion, sleep-inducing spells, silencing spells, and creating restless anxiety ('throwing nails on the fire'), advances with full force and conquers the lover's being. It is with the skillful use of these stratagems and beloved's mischievousness, and by tormenting the lover with display and aloofness, that the beloved reigns supreme in the arena of captivating hearts. Therefore, the beloved's enchantment is not in the service of a demonic function; rather, it aims to fully express the power of the beloved, to enamor, conquer, and subdue the lover's being, to the extent that this function of the beloved reaches its zenith in mystical poems as the supreme beloved.
In reality, by attributing sorcery and enchantment to the beloved, and even describing each of their attractive and alluring features with the qualities of a sorceress and witch, the poet justifies their own powerlessness in the face of the beloved's attractions and beauty. They seek a rational escape to absolve themselves from blame. Not only does the beloved's state of being loved work upon the lover with a force as effective as sorcery and enchantment, but every part of their bewitching totality is another practitioner of magic who will not rest until they have enchanted the lover and brought them down with a power similar to that of magic. In this situation, the poor lover can do nothing but surrender, marvel, and be utterly captivated.
Conclusion
Despite the difference in their linguistic origins, afsun (enchantment), jadu (magic), and sehr (sorcery) are usually used without significant semantic distinction. In the Persian Ghazal, all magical acts such as sehr and jadu, illusion (cheshm-bandi), sleep-inducing spells (khab-bandi), silencing spells (zaban-bandi), and creating restless anxiety (na'l dar atash afkandan), are attributed to the beloved. The difference lies in the fact that in relation to the beloved, this concept has an aesthetic and tasteful aspect. With the magic of their gaze, the sorcery of their coquetry, and the enchantment of their lips, the beloved, while being tempting and seductive, ensnares the lover in the trap of their beauty. Through illusion, sleep-inducing spells, and silencing spells – each a type of act performed by sorcerers and enchanters – the beloved ultimately leaves the lover in utter helplessness and astonishment. This aspect of the beloved's function is not in the form of black magic, which is detested, but rather carries a completely positive connotation and represents the beloved's inherent art in dominating the lover, to which the lover willingly submits. Their complaints and lamentations arise from wonder, not objection. By displaying their latent magical power, the beloved proves their authority as the beloved and, through various methods that exceed the reasonable limit and resemble sorcery, penetrates the lover's heart and takes them captive.
کلیدواژهها English
