Ibn Hazm's 'Falling In Love'

in a week's time mr. khairul and i will welcome the 5th anniversary of our first meeting in a quaint deli, where we fell in love at first sight. 25 days later, he popped the question. (syida, stop squirmin in your seat!)

pink is the color of passion!

to start the countdown, here is an excerpt taken from one of the greatest scholar in spanish islam - ibn hazm's most popular literary work; 'Tawq al-Hamamah' or The Dove's Necklace' - one of its chapter called, 'Falling in Love', dedicated to all who love and are loved in return..

THE SIGNS OF LOVE
LOVE has certain signs, which the intelligent man quickly detects, and the shrewd man readily recognizes.

The first is the brooding gaze

the eye is the wide gateway of the soul, the scrutinizer of its secrets, conveying its most private thoughts, and giving expression to its deepest-hid feelings. you will see the lover gazing at the beloved unblinkingly; his eyes follow the loved one's every movement.

The lover will direct his conversation to the beloved

when the loved one speaks, the lover listens with rapt attention to his every word; he marvels at everything the beloved says, however extraordinary and absurd his observations may be.

The lover would want to stay close at all time

the lover hurries to the spot where the beloved is at the moment, endeavors to sit as near him as possible sidles up close to him.

Sudden confusion and excitement

a feeling when he unexpectedly sees the one he loves coming upon him unawares, that agitation which overmasters him on beholding someone who resembles his beloved or, on hearing his name suddenly pronounced.

A man in love will change his character

how often has the miser opened his purse strings, the scowler relaxed his frown, the coward leapt heroically into the fray, the clod suddenly become sharp-witted, the boor turned into the perfect gentleman, the stinker transformed himself into the elegant dandy, the sloucher smartened up, the godly gone wild - and all because of love!

Love wants a touch of affection

leaning sideways and supporting oneself against the object of one's affection; endeavoring to touch his hand, and whatever other part of his body one can reach, while engaged in conversation.

Lovers are very quickly reconciled after their disputes

you will see a pair of lovers seeming to have reached the extreme limit of contrariety, to the point that you would reckon not to be mended, yet in next to no time you will observe them to have become the best of friends once more; silenced are those mutual reproaches, vanished that disharmony; forthwith they are laughing again and playfully sporting together.

Say my name

another sign is when you find the lover almost entreating to hear the loved one's name pronounced, taking an extreme delight in speaking about him, so that the subject is a positive obsession with him; nothing so much rejoices him.

Tido tak kenyang, makan tak lena

it can happen that a man sincerely affected by love will start to eat his meal with an excellent appetite; yet the instant the recollection of his loved one is excited, the food sticks in his throat and chokes his gullet. it is the same if he is drinking, or talking he begins to converse with you gaily enough, and then all at once he is invaded by a chance thought of his dear one.

..and honey, i am still mad about you!