DamiRae Week 24: Degrees of love
As with every year, we’re devoting an upcoming week to celebrate DamiRae and show off the glorious level of talent in our fandom. It’s been four years since our ship became canon in the DCAMU, and we aren’t slowing down.
Romance has a significant presence in Arabic writings, poetry, language, and art. Given Damian Wayne’s often underplayed and underrepresented heritage, we wanted to find a way to incorporate it into this particular fandom celebration. And so, we present this year’s theme:
✨The Degrees of Love in the Arabic Language✨
We wanted to do something special this year to bolster our little community and give people a chance to shine together. We all love a good collaboration, so this year’s dynamic will be:
While not mandatory, we’ll be helping to pair up any interested artists and writers whose themes intersect or overlap. Whether it be a story with accompanying fanart, or multiple writers and artists working together on a single piece, we’re truly excited to see what people can come up with when they put their heads together.
Without further adieu, here are the Degrees of Love you have to choose from!
Al meel - Liking/interest
This word is used to describe a fondness or penchant for someone, and can describe the early stages of someone falling in love. It is similar to the word hawa, which is used when someone begins to become more inclined towards a romantic interest. A functional English equivalent can be "to have a crush on someone" - a feeling that can be fleeting and may change over time.
Al khala - Deep friendship
This term is commonly used in religious texts and denotes a strong companionship. Al-khala is the feeling someone shares with someone they have a lot in common with, have a fondness for, and see in a positive light. The person will have a good influence on them, and there will be a strong rapport and loyalty between the pair.
When love starts to have a physical impact on a person, it can be described as a state of infatuation. This stage causes the lover distress and difficulty, as they can’t be away from their beloved. Usually, when someone is at this stage of love, they are willing to compromise on anything for the one they love, regardless of the consequences.
Al eshq - Passionate love
This particular word features very heavily in songs and poetry and the direct translation of the word is "to be nested in". The stage of love can be described as a state of adoration, where the person is overcome with feelings of desire. This form may involve some form of intimacy, and typically the couple will be inseparable.
Similar to a type of love called al walah, meaning an absurd fondness or bewitchment, this kind of love is considered to be so intense, it is likened to becoming insane. With this intensity of love, the thoughts of the person in love will be completely preoccupied with their beloved. The intense feelings will cloud the person’s mind, leaving them unable to function properly.
There are some expressions of love that are synonymous with pain, and describe how a lover feels without their beloved. A similar word is al shaju, which means grief, or sababa, which comes from the Arabic word for injury. The word describes the figurative act of spilling blood from one’s heart.
Al tadleeh - Disorder or enslavement
Tadleeh loosely resembles a disorder and comes from the word madlah, which means unable to pay attention.
This degree of love denotes a love so intense and strong that the lover's heart is no longer theirs and becomes a slave to their beloved. They can not free themselves of this love or let go of the person.
Controlling emotions becomes difficult, and the heart feels as though it totally belongs to the beloved. If this is where you find yourself, you are at a place where you are no longer yourself, as you have been fully consumed by your love. People in this stage of love can no longer focus on anything else and are left in a state of disarray and confusion.
At this point, the person has already become too attached to their beloved, and they cannot be without them or think of themselves without the other person. Their thoughts are completely preoccupied by the one they love, to the point that it causes them pain. Like another degree of love, jawa, which is a burning love similar to a heartburn, this degree of love has a physical impact on the lover.
This degree of love is often described as unhealthy, as it leads a person to a state of blind submission to the one they love. At this stage, one sees the other as almost perfect, with no faults. It can cause someone to overlook any issues or mistakes. In relationships, it can lead to someone being blindly obedient to the other, seeking their affection and approval unquestioningly.
One of the most intense degrees of love, huyaam plunges a person into a state of insanity. At this point, a lover has lost all sense of reason and rationality. Containing elements of obsessiveness, this type of love can cause a person to act unusually and do things that are not typical of their personality because of how blinded by passion they are.
Next Sunday we will share a quick survey for anyone interested in collaborating so you can let us know your chosen degree of love and whatever specific idea you may have for bringing it to life. We’ll use that information to pair up anyone interested in collaborating. We will also choose the date to our lovely event, so stay tuned and don't hesitate on DM us if you have any questions!
