Khosrow and Shirin or Hüsrev and Shirin or Shirin and Farhad (Originally Persian خسرو و شيرين pron. Khusraw-o-Shirin), is a story of Persian origin which is found in the great epico-historical poems of Shahnameh that was based on a true story that was further romanticized by Persian poets. The story depicts the love of Sassanian king Khosrow II towards an Armenian princess, Shirin. Khosrow and Shirin recounts the story of King Khosrow’s courtship of Princess Shirin, and vanquishing of his love-rival, Farhad by sending him on an exile to Behistun mountain with the impossible task of carving stairs out of the cliff rocks. Shirin eventually consents to marry Khosrow after several romantic and heroic episodes, including his rescue of her from a lion by killing the animal with his bare hands.
( from Wikipedia )
