Popularity in Persian literature Khosrow and Shirin

khosrow parviz , shirin in 18th-century miniature

there many references legend throughout poetry of other persian poets including farrokhi, qatran, mas ud-e sa d-e salman, othman mokhtari, naser khusraw, anwari , sanai. nizam al-mulk mentioned legend popular story in era.

nizami s version

although story known before nizami, brought greatest romantic height him. unlike shahnameh, focuses on history, kingship , battles of khosrow, nizami decided focus on romantic aspect of story.

when seljuq sultan arsalan shah requested love epic poet without specifying subject further, nizami picked on story of lovers khosrow , shirin, theme set in own region , based on @ least partly historical facts, though aura of legend surrounded it.

nizami ganjavi (1141–1209) himself considered sweetest story in world:

it believed 1 of best works of nizami. first wife afaq died after completed. many versions of nizami s work have been retold. story has constant forward drive exposition, challenge, mystery, crisis, climax, resolution, , finally, catastrophe.

besides ferdowsi, nizami s poem influenced asad gorgani , vis , rāmin . of same meter , has similar scenes. nizami s concern astrology has precedent in elaborate astrological description of night sky in vis , ramin. nizami had paramount influence on romantic tradition, , gorgani can said have initiated of distinctive rhetoric , poetic atmosphere of tradition, absence of sufi influences, seen in nizami s epic poetry.