Metaphorical Mappings of Love in the Lyrical Masnavi of Homay and Homayun Khaju Kermani

Metaphor is a key concept in cognitive linguistics, and linguists such as George Lakoff and Mark Johnson argue that metaphor is not merely a linguistic phenomenon; rather, it possesses both perceptual and conceptual dimensions. Love and its associated requirements have long been explored from various perspectives within literary studies. Khaju Kermani (689 to 750) is a prominent poet of Persian literature from the eighth century AH, known for his narrative structure in the love poem of Homay and Homayun. The article explores the metaphorical representations of love within the poem using a descriptive-analytical approach. The research findings indicate that lyrical literature, as an expression of human thoughts and actions, employs a metaphorical approach. Love, a central theme in lyrical literature, is rendered tangible and perceptible through various metaphors. Prominent among these are existential metaphors, with fire, wine, flower gardens, the sea, and plants serving as significant representations in the poetry of Homay and Homayun by Khaju Kermani. In addition, the use of metaphorical language in this Masnavi suggests that Khaju's expressive style in conveying lyrical thoughts is repetitive and largely a reinterpretation of the ideas and concepts of his predecessors.
Introduction
Conceptual metaphors, as cognitive tools in cognitive linguistics, play a crucial role in understanding abstract concepts such as love. Contrary to the traditional view that regarded metaphor merely as a literary device, the contemporary perspective recognizes it as a mental process that helps make sense of complex ideas through more concrete domains.
This research explores the conceptual metaphors of love and its associated semantic clusters (such as shog, hab, and mohabbat) in the Masnavi of Homay and Homayun by Khajuwi Kermani. As one of the most significant romantic poems of the eighth century, this work narrates the love story of Homay and Homayun, offering a rich context for the analysis of cognitive metaphors.
The primary objective of this research is to explore the metaphorical mappings of love, examine the poet's approach to conceptualization, and elucidate the underlying worldview present in the work.
Method
This study employed a descriptive-analytical method grounded in Lakoff and Johnson's conceptual metaphor theory. The data comprised verses pertaining to love and related concepts from the Masnavi of Homay and Homayun, which were analyzed using the following theoretical framework:
- A conceptual metaphor: Involves the semantic transfer from a source domain (objective) to a target domain (abstract), exemplified by the phrase is fire.
- Mapping Classification: Metaphors were categorized into four groups: positive (e.g., light), negative (e.g., sadness, murder), ambivalent (e.g., fire, may), and neutral (e.g., Golestan, sea).
Frequency Analysis: Counting the occurrences of each mapping to identify dominant patterns.
The primary sources included the Masnavi text, prior research in the field of cognitive metaphors, and works related to lyrical literature.
Results
A study of 920 metaphorical mappings in the Masnavi of Homay and Homayun shows that Khaju Kermani uses objective concepts to represent love. The most frequently used positive mapping is “Love is light” (121 cases), which is linked to the concepts of enlightenment and guidance in mysticism and reflects the poet’s positive attitude towards love. In contrast, negative mappings such as “Love is sorrow” (119 cases) and “Love is a killer” (34 cases) highlight the suffering and separation of the lover. Dual mappings such as “Love is fire” (78 cases) and “Love is life” (81 cases) reflect the inherent opposition of pleasure and suffering in the experience of love. This duality in metaphors, in line with the separation-oriented atmosphere of the story, reflects the poet’s worldview, which considers love to be both a source of salvation and suffering. Neutral mappings such as Love is Golestan (21 cases) and Love is the sea (12 cases), by emphasizing beauty and vastness, reveal other dimensions of this abstract concept.
Conclusion
The analysis of conceptual metaphors in Homay and Homayun shows that Khaju Kermani uses concrete concepts (light, fire, Golestan) to represent love as an abstract concept. The duality in the mappings (positive/negative) not only expresses the complex nature of love, but also reflects the poet’s worldview, which considers love to be both suffering and salvation. The results of this research are a step towards a better understanding of the role of cognitive metaphors in classical Persian literature and the recognition of the cultural patterns that govern the poets’ mentality.