ORIENTAL STUDIES
BAKU STATE UNIVERSITY JOURNAL of
ORIENTAL STUDIES
ISSN: 3134-7231 (ONLINE);      ISSN: 3134-9013 (PRINT);
“NO VISION CAN ENCOMPASS HIM”: THE THEORETICAL AND AESTHETIC ASPECTS OF EYE DESCRIPTION IN CLASSICAL AZERBAIJANI POETRY
Received: 10-Mar-2025 Accepted: 27-Apr-2025 Published: 28-Oct-2025 Read PDF Download PDF
Aida GASIMOVA
DOI: https://doi.org/10.30546/209805.2025.101.2.1051
Abstract
This paper examines the depiction of the eye in classical Azeri Turkic poetry, highlighting both its aesthetic allure and its deeper symbolic significance. It examines the intellectual and spiritual ideas that shape Azeri Turkic poetic language and places them within the wider context of Islamic thought. Special attention is given to the relationship between poetic images of the eye and medieval Muslim ideas about ophtalmology, as well as older physiognomic theories. These perspectives are studied together with Qur`anic descriptions of the face, especially the eye, which appears both as a physical organ and as a symbol of perception and awareness. The paper analyzes Qur`anic terms related to the eye and shows how poets reshaped this vocabulary in their works. Particular emphasis is placed on the idea of divine omniscience, expressed through the image of God as the All-Seeing, and on how this concept is reflected in the created world. The study also discusses inner vision and the “eye of the heart,” tracing their importance in mystical thought and poetic expression. Finally, it examines the themes of weeping and tears, showing how these elements come together to form a distinctive Azeri Turkic poetic and spiritual worldview.

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