Rawdat al-Qulub wa-Nushat al Muhibb wal-Mahbub

The Rawdat alQulub by Shayzari- was written in the 12th century A.D. It deals with the issue of love in classical and medieval Arabic societies, as reflected in literature, mainly in poetry. The book reflects classical (Greek) influences on love and its impact on human faculties and behaviour. It also provides stories and anecdots on lovers, and makes clear distinction between pure love and sexual amusement. It is rich with stories derived from earlier sources. Together with similar works this book gives graphic picture about the theory of love and its development in classical and medieval Arabic thought. The text of the book is hereby published in full, and will certainly add much to our information about its main topic: love and love theory.