Xamsa

“Xamsa” is a collection of five epic poems written by Alisher Navoiy, one of the most famous poets in Uzbek literature. The poems were written in the 15th century and are considered to be some of Navoiy’s greatest works.

The five poems that make up “Xamsa” are “Hayrat ul-abror” (“Wonder of Wonders”), “Farhod va Shirin”, “Layli va Majnun”, “Sabʼai sayyor”, and “Saddi Iskandariy”. Each poem tells a different story and explores different themes, but they are all connected by their focus on love, beauty, and spirituality.

Navoiy wrote “Xamsa” in Chagatai Turkish, which was a literary language used in Central Asia at the time. The poems are written in a rhymed couplet form and are known for their beautiful language and imagery.

Each of the five poems in “Xamsa” tells a different story and explores different themes, but they are all connected by their focus on love, beauty, and spirituality.

Here’s a brief summary of each poem:

  • “Hayrat ul-abror” (“Wonder of Wonders”): This poem tells the story of a young man named Yusuf who falls in love with a beautiful woman named Zulaykho. The poem explores themes of love, beauty, and spirituality.

“Hayrat ul-abror” is the first poem in Alisher Navoi’s “Xamsa” and is a didactic work that explores themes of love, beauty, and spirituality. The poem tells the story of a young man named Yusuf who falls in love with a beautiful woman named Zulaykho.

The poem is divided into several sections, each of which explores a different aspect of love and beauty. The first section introduces Yusuf and Zulaykho and describes their initial meeting. The second section explores the nature of beauty and how it can inspire love.

The third section of the poem focuses on the spiritual aspects of love and how it can lead to enlightenment. The fourth section explores the idea of sacrifice and how true love requires selflessness.

Overall, “Hayrat ul-abror” is a beautiful work that explores many different themes related to love, beauty, and spirituality.

  • “Farhod va Shirin”: This poem tells the story of Farhod, a young man who falls in love with Shirin, a beautiful princess. The poem explores themes of love, beauty, and sacrifice.

  • “Layli va Majnun”: This poem tells the story of Layli and Majnun, two young lovers who are separated by their families. The poem explores themes of love, devotion, and spirituality.

  • “Sabʼai sayyor”: This poem tells the story of seven travelers who set out on a journey to find the Fountain of Youth. The poem explores themes of youth, beauty, and spirituality.

  • “Saddi Iskandariy”: This poem tells the story of Alexander the Great and his travels throughout the world. The poem explores themes of conquest, power, and spirituality.

Detailed data:

  1. "Farhad and Shirin": This poem tells the story of Farhad, a young stonecutter who falls in love with the princess Shirin. Farhad, who is known for his strength and devotion, is tasked with carving a road through a mountain to connect two cities. In order to win the love of Shirin, he pledges to finish the road in just three days. The poem explores themes of love, devotion, and faith. Farhad's unwavering love for Shirin, despite the many obstacles he faces, is seen as a symbol of faith and devotion. The poem also touches on the power of faith and the belief that with faith, even the impossible can be achieved.

  2. "Layla and Majnun": This poem is a tragic love story that tells the tale of Layla and Majnun, two young lovers who are separated by societal norms and expectations. Layla is betrothed to another man, and Majnun is seen as a social outcast due to his obsession with Layla. Despite their separation, the two lovers remain devoted to each other until the end of their lives. The poem explores themes of love, loss, and the nature of fate. The tragic end of the story highlights the theme that sometimes, fate can be cruel and prevent true love from prevailing.

  3. "Seven Planets" (Семь планет) is a poem by Alisher Navoi, written in 1484 in the Chagatai language. It is a part of the Khamsa collection, but is also considered a separate work dedicated to the Persian king Bahram and his love for the Chinese princess Dilaram. The poem is based on the Seven Beauties by Nizami Ganjavi, where Bahram is also the main character. "Seven Planets" consists of 31 chapters.

    It's interesting to note that Alisher Navoi was not only a poet but also a statesman and a scholar. He served as a vizier in the court of the Timurid Empire and was known for his patronage of the arts and literature. In fact, he was so dedicated to promoting literature that he established a library in Herat that contained over 40,000 volumes.

    "Seven Planets" explores themes of love, power, and cultural diversity. It tells the story of Bahram, who travels to seven different lands to find and marry seven beauties, each representing a different planet in the medieval Islamic cosmology. The princesses each possess unique qualities and virtues, and Bahram must overcome various challenges to win their love and prove his worthiness as a king.

    "Seven Planets" is a fascinating work of literature that showcases Alisher Navoi's talents as a poet and his deep understanding of Islamic culture and tradition. Its themes are still relevant today and offer valuable insights into human nature and the complexities of love and power. “Sab’ai Sayyor” or “Yetti Sayyora” is the fourth story in the “Khamsa” by Alisher Navoiy, written in 1484 in Chagatai language. This is a romantic adventure story that consists of 38 chapters and contains over 5,000 verses. The story is based on the famous Persian epic “Bahrom Gur,” which revolves around the legendary Sasanian king Bahram V (420-438 AD).

    The story starts with Bahrom, the king of seven climates, hunting in a forest where he meets a Chinese merchant named Moniy who tells him about the beautiful Princess Dilorom. Moniy shows Bahrom a portrait of the princess and the king falls in love with her at first sight. Bahrom pays a year's worth of tribute to the Chinese emperor to get permission to marry the princess and brings her to his palace.

    Bahrom is so infatuated with Dilorom that he becomes neglectful of his duties as a king. He spends all his time with her, neglecting his responsibilities, and eventually becomes drunk and loses his senses. He even neglects his advisors and other officials. Later, Bahrom is separated from Dilorom and suffers greatly.

    In the second part of the story, Bahrom decides to create seven palaces of seven different colors, each representing one of the seven climates, in order to alleviate his boredom and fulfill his mercantile desires. In each palace, he invites a traveler every day to tell him a story. He does this for seven years until he finally hears the story of Dilorom and finds her again.

    In the end, Bahrom marries Dilorom again and the couple lives happily ever after, as Bahrom becomes a wiser and more just king. The story is a metaphor for the love and the divine journey of the soul, which passes through different stages of growth and purification before reaching the ultimate goal.

  4. "Salaman and Absal": This poem tells the story of Salaman, a prince who falls in love with Absal, a beautiful girl who is raised by a mystical bird. The poem explores themes of love, spiritual awakening, and the nature of reality. The mystical bird in the story represents the search for spiritual truth, while the love between Salaman and Absal represents the search for deeper meaning in life. The poem is also notable for its exploration of the nature of reality and the idea that reality is not always what it seems.

  5. "Saddi Iskandari": This poem tells the story of Alexander the Great and his encounters with a wise philosopher named Saddi. The poem explores themes of wisdom, humility, and the nature of power. Through the character of Saddi, the poem emphasizes the importance of wisdom and humility, even for those in positions of great power. The story of Alexander the Great also highlights the idea that even the most powerful rulers are subject to the same struggles and limitations as ordinary people.

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