Hüsn ü Aşk

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Hüsn ü Aşk (literally: "Beauty and Love") is the magnum opus of Turkish poet Şeyh Galip. Hüsn ü Aşk consists of 2101 verses and has a very strong Sufi theme.

Story of Hüsn ü Aşk tells the tale of two lovers; Hüsn ("beauty") and Aşk ("love"). According to the story Hüsn and Aşk were born in the same night to the same clan. Eventually they fall for each other but when Aşk intends to ask for her hand in marriage from elders of the clan, he is ridiculed by the elders and asked to bring Kimyâ from the land of Kalb ("heart") if he intends to be with Hüsn. As a result of this request, Aşk sets for a journey to the land of Kalb along with his servant Gayret. Aşk and Gayret face many troubles during their journey and go through several dangers. At the end of the story we're told that all the troubles Aşk faced were due to his belief that Hüsn was a different person than himself but actually Aşk and Hüsn are one and the same.

All names used in the story, including names of all characters and places, are indeed Sufi terms. Story is full of symbols and is meant to be taken, not for its literal meaning but rather, for its symbolic meaning; one's journey towards God to see at the end that he himself is actually a mere reflection of God hence is same with God and there is no being other than God. As a result of this book is a well known piece of Turkish Sufi literature.