The Ring of The Dove

Essentially a treatise on love, the work is a delightful account of the complexities, intricacies, scandals and perils associated with romantic love. The title hints at the ring of feathers found around the necks of pigeons which symbolises the "chain of love" that eternally binds lovers in classical Islamic literature. Ibn Hazm offers a vast range of fascinating observations on love including the act of falling in love via a description, falling in love while sleeping and the various roles mediators play between lovers. In numerous passages, Hazm will have you in awe at his acute awareness of human nature.