Bahram Gur Sees a Herd of Deer Mesmerized by Dilaram’ s Music

“Bahram Gur Sees a Herd of Deer Mesmerized by Dilaram’ s Music”, Folio from a Khamsa (Quintet) of Amir Khusrau Dihlavi. Attributed to Miskin (active ca. 1570–1604). Folio from an illustrated manuscript, 1597–98, India. Click image for larger view.

Approximately one century after the Persian poet Nizami wrote his Khamsa (Quintet), the Indian poet Amir Khusrau Dihlavi composed a response using Nizami’s structure but varying his stories slightly. This painting comes from the Mughal emperor Akbar’s (r. 1556–1605) personal copy of Amir Khusrau’s verses. It shows the king Bahram Gur with his beautiful slave girl, Dilaram, who could make animals sleep or awaken with the sound of her music. —metmuseum

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