An epic-length Persian poem written in the 11th century and based on a Parthian love story that goes back even farther. A beautiful young woman and a handsome young man fall in love when they are just kids sharing the same nanny, but she's promised to a king (the young man's uncle) then married off to her brother (ew) instead, and then carried off to be the wife of the originally-promised king. In the end young lovers in love find a way to be together, with the help of a nurse (there's always a helpful nurse in these stories). It follows the common tropes for these kinds of tales and it's a fascinating look at how old stories evolve through different times and changing cultures. Not my favorite long form love story poem, but I'm still happy to have read it. ( )