The Textual Analysis of the Sole Manuscript of the Divan of Bolbol-e Gilani (9th century AH)

The present study is the introduction and textual analysis of a manuscript called the Divan of Bolbol-e Gilani, written in the 9th century AH. It is manuscript number 86 in the library of Istanbul University which has not been introduced or edited so far. The main goal of this research is to introduce and review this manuscript and express its main linguistic, literary, and intellectual features. The research method is descriptive analysis based on field and library studies and in-text evidence. There is no information about this poet in literary and historical sources and Bolbol remains unknown even among the people of Gilan. He is a poet from the middle class and lacks style, having experimented with the forms of masnavi, qasida, ghazal, and qet’a. Bolbol follows the Khorasani style in qasida and the Iraqi style in ghazal. The manuscript consists of 107 pages and 3078 verses and does not have the scribe's signature, name, or information; moreover, the time of writing is not available, but the text shows that the scribe did not have enough precision in copying: several typographical errors are seen in his manuscript. The main themes of the Divan are the praise of the local rulers of Gilan and the description of its land and beauty.