Reading is good for Braining

Good afternoon blog people! Get ready for a nerdy read:

I've picked up a second book.

I'm presently reading "A Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens as chosen by The Book Club

but it's a super busy time and 

I don't want to go too far into it without the accompaniment from the other Book Club member

So

I'm also reading "The Satanic Verses" by Salman Rushdie, which is something I've always wanted to read.

The Satanic Verses is Salman Rushdie's fourth novel, first published in 1988 and inspired in part by the life of Muhammad.  The title refers to the so-called "satanic verses", a group of alleged Qur'anic verses that allow intercessory prayers to be made to three Pagan Meccan goddesses: Allāt, Uzza, and Manāt.

{image of Allāt, Uzza, and Manāt}

This is all really interesting to me since I like mythology and symbolism, so I'll cut all of this part short and avoid digressing to other topics.

In the United Kingdom, the book received positive reviews. However, it sparked a major controversy when Muslims accused it of blasphemy and mocking their faith, and lead to Rushdie being sentenced to death by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomenei.

{source: Wikipedia}

 When I read a novel I make a list of the words that are unknown to me so I can look them up later.

If I cannot actually DEFINE a word I will still look it up.

One of the words that I found in The Satanic Verses was "Gazal":

"Gibreel, the tuneless soloist, had been cavorting in moonlight as he sang his impromptu gazal..."

I looked it up. The spelling is GHAZAL and it is a kind of oriental lyric or poetry, usually about love, the loss of love, or of an erotic nature, written in recurring rhymes.  

The form is ancient, originating in 6th century Arabic verse.

So then I wanted to know what a Ghazal sounded like. 

Of course, Wikipedia is my friend so here is one for you to enjoy. 

This Ghazal, written in English, observes the traditional restrictions of the form:

Where are you now? Who lies beneath your spell tonight?
Whom else from rapture’s road will you expel tonight?

Those “Fabrics of Cashmere--“ ”to make Me beautiful--“
“Trinket”-- to gem– “Me to adorn– How– tell”-- tonight?

I beg for haven: Prisons, let open your gates–
A refugee from Belief seeks a cell tonight.

God’s vintage loneliness has turned to vinegar–
All the archangels– their wings frozen– fell tonight.

Lord, cried out the idols, Don’t let us be broken
Only we can convert the infidel tonight.

Mughal ceilings, let your mirrored convexities
multiply me at once under your spell tonight.

He’s freed some fire from ice in pity for Heaven.
He’s left open– for God– the doors of Hell tonight.

In the heart’s veined temple, all statues have been smashed
No priest in saffron’s left to toll its knell tonight

God, limit these punishments, there’s still Judgment Day–
I’m a mere sinner, I’m no infidel tonight.

Executioners near the woman at the window.
Damn you, Elijah, I’ll bless Jezebel tonight.

The hunt is over, and I hear the Call to Prayer
fade into that of the wounded gazelle tonight.

My rivals for your love– you’ve invited them all?
This is mere insult, this is no farewell tonight.

And I, Shahid, only am escaped to tell thee–
God sobs in my arms. Call me Ishmael tonight. 

-Agha Shahid Ali-