There are many versions of the story. The story’s influence extended to Western literature, with echoes of its themes in works like Goethe’s “West-östlicher Divan”. The story inspired musical compositions, including the first opera in the Islamic world, “Leyli and Majnun” by Uzeyir Hajibeyov, and the song “Layla” by Eric Clapton. Even in modern pop culture, the story’s themes of forbidden love and longing are evident in songs like Eric Clapton’s “Layla,” which was inspired by the story. The story’s themes of love, loss, and obsession resonate universally, attracting audiences from diverse backgrounds and cultures. 

Analysis: In Persian folklore, the story of Layla and Majnun stands in for the classic “star-crossed lovers” tale. It originated before Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet (albeit after the myth of Pyramus and Thisbe), but features many similarities. In the story, Leili and Majnun fall in love, but Leili has been arranged to marry another man. She does and is devastated. She and Majnun clandestinely meet to exchange poetry, until Leili’s husband dies. When Majnun hears of Leili’s husband’s death, he wishes to see her, but custom requires that she stay in her home, isolated from the world, for two years to grieve his death. Knowing this, Leili dies of a broken heart. Upon seeing Leili’s dead body, Majnun dies as well, and they are buried side by side, reunited in their death.