A Bird after Love: Ibn’ Hazm’s The Ring of the Dove (Tawq al- Hamāmah ) and the Roots of Courtly Love

Abstract

The concept of love covers a considerable place in the world literature both in the West and the East. Commonly, the works on love in the Western literature such as Ovid's Ars Amatoria and Andreas Capellanus' The Art of Courtly Love are well known compared to the studies on love in the Eastern literature. However, there is a great deal and variety of love literature in the East, ranging from the explorations of divine love within the context of Sufi writings to profane love. Indeed, the Arabic literature on love in the Middle Ages is widely acknowledged to contribute much to the European literature. Dealing with love in more secular aspects, among others, Ibn' Hazm's The Ring of the Dove (Tawq al-Hammah) becomes the representative of profane and courtly love in the Eastern literature. Gaining universal appeal through numerous translations due to its significance in particular for the studies about the troubadours and the roots of courtly love, The Ring of the Dove forms a bridge between the studies on love in the medieval Eastern and Western literature. Although he had been harshly criticized by his Spanish-Arab countrymen due to his approach to love in The Ring of the Dove; Ibn' Hazm have received the greatest attention by the modern scholars who are interested in profane love in the Arabic literature. Accordingly, this paper aims to portray the traces of profane and courtly love in the Arabic literature as reflected in Ibn' Hazm's The Ring of the Dove. Keywords: Arabic literature; courtly love; Middle Ages; the Ring of the Dove; profane love. Love is the only reason for the world's existence and it is away from sensual feelings; it is dangerous, but it is still the warmness in heart based on mutual intimacy and respect between lovers. Lover is the one who unconditionally accepts his/her lover and whose character changes when s/he is in love. 1