Stories of men smitten by the beauty of women are common. Stories of women smitten by the beauty of men are rare.

In Persian lore, we hear the story of Yusuf (biblical Joseph), the son of Yaqub (Jacob). Yusuf was a very nice person, very handsome, extremely talented, much loved by his father, to the point that his brothers became jealous and sold him in slavery in Egypt. Yususf was bought by an Egyptian General whose wife Zulekha fell in love with Yusuf. In the Christian story, the wife tries to seduce Joseph, but fails and which is why he’s thrown in prison. But in the Persian story, this love is true and not just based on lust.