This blog post is something of a continuation of the last blog post because it also deals with LGBT people in India. Specifically, this blog post will be an analysis of a poem that details Sultan Mahmud’s real life love with the slave Ayaz in a fictional setting. Although the poem is an epic, I will only be analyzing a small portion from the beginning that details their meeting and falling in love. The pieces of the poem will be block-quoted, with my analysis following it.
When the cupbearer of the tavern pours out beauty and sorrow
Understanding’s heart surges beyond the bounds of moderation
In another book written by the English translator of this poem entitled Same Sex Love in India, she explains that taverns were one of the places homo-erotically inclined men met each other, so it was common for poems to mention these settings. Here, the cupbearer that is mentioned is Ayaz, Mahmud’s soon-to-be lover. Ayaz is pouring out beauty and sorrow, which shows he is the one in control of his beauty and his ability to cause sorrow for other people, in this case, Mahmud.
May no glasslike heart remain unshattered
May no wine-filled goblet be without a rapt drinker
The glasslike heart is a recurring metaphor in this poem and it is used to set up Mahmud as the fragile one between the two due to his infatuation, and this comparison is further solidified in the next lines.
That night, Mahmud himself became wine, burgundy as spilled blood
He was the glass in the cupbearers hand like a trained royal falcon
There is an interesting reversal of roles seen here, where Mahmud the ruler is weak when it comes to Ayaz the slave. The mention of Mahmud and spilled blood brings to mind the thought that Mahmud is hurt, except here he is not hurt because of war, but because of love. By referring to Mahmud as glass here, it relates him back to the “glass like heart” mentioned in previous lines. Lastly, the imagery of the Sultan being a “trained royal falcon” brings to mind the phrase “wrapped around his finger”, both of which provide clear indications that Ayaz could take complete control of Mahmud should he choose to.
The cupbearer came in, circling with amorous flirtation
The sting of his playful glance cut the vein of Mahmud’s glass
Ayaz is immediately characterized in a specific way through the words “circling” and “amorous”. Circling is often a term used to describe the movements of a predator looking at their prey, and the use of the word amorous implies a sexual quality to Ayaz’s actions. The writer uses seemingly antithetical words “sting” and “playful” in the same line once again to emphasize Ayaz’s coyness and power. Additionally, the metaphor of the vein and Mahmud’s glass once again relates back to his “glass heart”, the “vein” of which has been cut by Ayaz.
His hair twists with a kind of ensnaring
That could capture a hundred sleepless eyes
From whichever angle you glance at his form
You are left devastated by his elegant inattention
Once again, Ayaz is given power through something as small and delicate as his hair. It is interesting that “you” starts being used after the writer mentions that Ayaz’s power is not just limited to Mahmud, but affects many people. By switching to the usage of “you” here, it implies that no one, not even the reader would be free from his “ensnaring”. There is also a juxtaposition of the words “devastated” and “inattention” here which makes it clear that even though he captures people’s attention, he does not bless them with his own. However, any negative connotation this might have is offset by the positive word “elegant”. It also implies that his inattention is not simply due to Ayaz’s obliviousness, but that he is well aware of the attention and purposefully does not address it.
Crying and moaning, Mahmud danced from longing for his love
As if his skin were being shed from his body
The juxtaposition of the words “crying” and “moaning” continues on with the idea of Mahmud being hurt because he is not with the one who he loves. The imagery of his skin being shed from his body not only informs the readers of his movements, but also brings into mind the imagery of a snake, which is known to symbolize a transformation or healing.
The wine jug circled around, bringing the two into intimacy
Mahmud’s ecstasy boiled over in his delicious dream vision
There is a peak in the diction here because of the use of strong, erotic diction like “intimacy” and “ecstasy” that is present as the two meet, but the line afterward serves as a harsh reminder that this is simply a dream instead of real life. Even in these lines, although there is happiness in them meeting, because it is not real, the mention of a dream serves as a reminder that Mahmud is still longing for his love.
The Sultan of Ghazna approached as if to capture him
When with a wink of abandon, Ayaz slew him on the spot
Here it seems that there is an attempt by Mahmud to regain his power, which can be inferred through the use of his title, rather than the use of his name, as well as the word “capture”. However, the power afforded to the Sultan is short lived. With even less of a movement than Mahmud exerted, Ayaz once again has power over him through a simple wink.
If one could taste the breath of that lip like a sugared pistachio
From the sweetness of his lip one would break into endless laughter
The use of the word endless here shows that Ayaz has the ability to bring eternal happiness despite all the violent, painful imagery preceding this line.
When Ayaz approached him, glass in hand
Mahmud contemplated him from the depth of his breast
By stating that Ayaz is carrying a glass in his hand one can think back to the metaphor of Mahmud’s glass heart, which Ayaz could be thought of as having complete control of. In other words, holding it. Unlike previously in the poem when Mahmud “approached as if to capture” the slave, now it is Ayaz approaching him, not the other way around. Rather than Mahmud giving a cursory response like a wink, he thinks about Ayaz with his whole heart.
Splendor the color of blood, a rending and lifting of veils
Ayaz captured Mahmud’s heart and left his chest intact
Such a youth, who carried off Mahmud’s heart
With one word to him became Mahmud’s own breast
Here, the same diction is being used with the word “capture”, relating it back to the same verse. Although Ayaz was able to “defeat” Mahmud with something as small as a wink, all he had to do was approach and Mahmud was captured. The last line in this quote shows that Ayaz became a part of Mahmud that he cannot live without, once again through his glass heart, which is now in Ayaz’s possession.
In that market of Badakhshan, trade in young men thrives
But Mahmud was searching for a rose of a different hue
The translator explains that Mahmud wakes up from his dream and finds out that Ayaz is a real person who is being sold in a marketplace, so he halts the invasion of Kashmir to find him. By referring to him as a rose, the author is referencing back to the redness of Ayaz’s lips, but now he is being described as something delicate rather than something with power. This is most likely because now Mahmud knows he is a slave.
His gaze fell upon the face of his Ayaz, in a flash
He knew they must be together, he must buy him as a master
Now the diction switches, because in real life, despite what Mahmud might feel, it is really him who has all the power. This is reflected in the use of words such as “his Ayaz” and “master”, however by using the word “must”, the author shows that simply through his own emotions, Mahmud is not entirely in control.
The gaze of the lover lingered over the one he loved
And struck his heart like the sting of a wasp
When the two found each other’s eyes
Their breathing transformed into sighs
The next few lines are interesting because they signal a change. Because of the dream, Ayaz metaphorically has Mahmud’s heart, and since it is his heart that was struck, Ayaz does not remain unaffected as he was in the dream, which is shown in the next line where the word “their” is used, showing that the both of them are in sync here.
As Mahmud imbibed the fresh beauty of Ayaz
If just seeing that lip made him drunk, a kiss would floor him
There is a double meaning in the word “imbibe”, with the first meaning being to drink alcohol and the other being to absorb or assimilate ideas or knowledge. Here, the phrase “drunk in love” comes to mind.
If his face shone like the moon, his dark tresses were a sigh
Of Mahmud when cool shade flickers over his nape
Previously, their love has been described as characteristic of heat, and something that sears, but these lines show that it is Ayaz who provides the relief. This means that even though the author is constantly using words with a painful connotation, it is not actually their love which causes the pain, which would have implied some kind of negativity to their love in general. Instead, the pain Mahmud feels comes from not being with Ayaz, and this pain is remedied by Ayaz as well.
Mahmud urged him to drink wine from his own hand
Yet a complaint showed in the eyes of Ayaz, a fear of intoxication
But as a servant, Ayaz drank from the cup
As a ruby droplet rolled from his lip to his shirt
Despite the fear that Ayaz shows, he still complies to Mahmud’s request. This is a clear indicator that regardless of how Ayaz makes Mahmud feel, in reality it is Mahmud with the power. It is here that the translator mentions that pouring wine becomes a metaphor both for kissing and for love’s intoxication. There is a similarity drawn between the redness of lips, the redness of wine, and the redness of blood shed from a longing heart. Continuing off of this explanation, if Ayaz is afraid of intoxication it might mean what he is really afraid of is loving someone who is a different caste than him
Hard of breath, Mahmud said, “In this intimacy one can pursue desire
But I can only utter sighs while watching you delicately drink!
Tonight, I’m in the mood to finally reach you
How long has my only wish from God been delayed
Here Mahmud makes it clear that it is not just erotic desire that makes him want Ayaz, but more than that. Additionally, the last line implies that God is not absent in this relationship, (as many modern Indians would say of this relationship). Instead by saying God has simply delayed this wish instead of forbidding it, Mahmud is saying that this is a relationship God approves of and is allowing.
Your lips have become ruby red, as intense as the wine
Such ruby spells the death of better discretion
Through continuing metaphors, it is implied through these lines that Ayaz has accepted and come to feel the same way as Mahmud, and both of them feeling this way means, not either of them being hurt, but instead the death of better discretion,
afrahhumanities 