Back-cover text:
“I have walked upon the carpets of caliphs’ palaces and attended the gatherings of sultans, yet I have seen nothing more splendid than the radiance of one beloved in the eyes of another. I have seen the triumph of conquerors who defeated princes, the influence of viziers, and the pleasures enjoyed by men of high office. Yet I have witnessed no joy more ardent than that of a lover certain of the beloved’s affection and love.”
Those who know nothing of love reproach me for loving.
Let them speak or fall silent—what does it matter?
I care nothing for their blame.
Let them say it to my face or whisper it in corners.
Translated into many languages, this book is a classic of love literature. In Arabic, “the dove’s necklace” describes something a person carries always, something that stays close and never parts from them. Just as the ring of feathers around a dove’s neck marks it and never leaves it, this book, with its insights into the nature of love, becomes a companion and guide that readers carry with them.
—Mehmet Hakkı Suçin