Nizami (Khosrow and Shirin) / When thought cast a spell over my mind

Khosrow and Shirin is a romantic epic poem by Nizami, a twelfth-century Persian poet. The work tells the story of the Sassanid king Khosrow II and the Christian Armenian princess Shirin, tracing their passionate love affair across many trials and separations. The narrative follows their yearning for each other, the obstacles placed between them, and their eventual union, woven through with vivid descriptions of landscapes, battles, and emotional states. As one of the five long poems in Nizami's Khamseh, this work became foundational to Persian literary tradition and influenced romance narratives throughout the Islamic world.