FATEH MOUDARRES (SYRIAN, 1922-1999)

The story of Kayce and Layla (also known as Layla and Majnoon) is an Arab counterpart to Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Kayce was a young man who loved Layla since childhood, and his feelings for her were reciprocated. However, her father denied them the chance to marry as Kayce was considered too lowly to be a suitable match. The pair were forcibly separated, and Kayce spent the remainder of his life wandering the desert longing for his beloved and composing poetry about his love. His love for her caused him madness, hence the name Majnoon (the Foolish ). This story is refered to in mystical and Sufi poetry as a metaphor for spiritual longing for the unobtainable.