مجله متن شناسی ادب فارسی
سال شانزدهم شماره 4 (پیاپی 64، زمستان 1403)

In this study, the biographies of two mystics from the first section (Junayd of Baghdad and Bayazid Bastami) and two mystics from the second section (Abu al-Hasan Kharaqani and Abu Sa'id Abu'l-Khayr) of the book Tazkirat al-Awliya are examined from a modal perspective. First, modality is analyzed in two categories: indicative and non-indicative. The total frequency of non-indicative moods in all four sections shows no significant difference. This difference can be analyzed in terms of the prose style of Sufism and the intentions of the speaker and author. In the next section, among the non-indicative moods, the frequencies of imperative, interrogative, and conditional moods are examined and compared. From this perspective, there are significant differences between the two mystics in the first section and the two mystics in the second section. Additionally, the two mystics in the first section show complete similarity in their use of different moods, while the two mystics in the second section, besides differing from the first section, also differ from each other, which can be analyzed from discourse and stylistic perspectives. From the viewpoint of power discourse, Abu Sa'id's section most prominently displays the power of the mystic, followed by the sections of Abu al-Hasan, Junayd, and Bayazid. From a stylistic perspective, the differences in modality and other examined elements indicate a distinct style between the first and second sections of the "Tazkirat", supporting the hypothesis that the second section might be a later addition.

Mojir al-Din Baylaqani (d. 586 AH) is a renowned poet of the 6th century and a prominent figure of the Arranian school in Persian poetry. He is renowned for his deceptively simple yet fluent verses compared to his contemporaries. The only existing edition of his Divan (collected works) was prepared by Mohammad Abadi Bavail as a doctoral dissertation in 1974 under the supervision of Mehdi Mohaghegh, Mazaher Mosaffa, and Ahmad Mahdavi Damghani and was subsequently published in Tabriz in 1979. While this pioneering edition holds historical value, subsequent reviews have revealed its deficiencies. The recent discovery of new manuscript sources that were unavailable to the previous editor presents an opportunity for a revised, more comprehensive edition. This study, undertaken through a critical re-editing of Mojir al-Din's Divan based on over 30 manuscript copies and employing a descriptive-analytical methodology using library resources, aimed to highlight the shortcomings of the existing edition. The significance of poets from Arran Region in the Persian literary canon, coupled with the necessity of a deeper scholarly engagement with Mojir al-Din's poems, underscored the importance of this research. The overall conclusion pointed to the inadequacies of the previous edition and the pressing need for its re-editing. According to the findings, the primary deficiencies of the prior edition included the erroneous attribution of other poets' works to Mojir al-Din, omission of some of his poems, inconsistencies in the transcription of certain poems, misreadings, incorrect selections, and inadequate or inaccurate annotations.

The Malik National Library houses a collection of nearly 4,850 lines of poetry under Access Code 6240. This manuscript is attributed to Mohammad Hossein Saqib in the library's records and is referred to as both "Kaliat Saqib" and "Diwan Saqib" in reference to Shahabuddin Saqib Dehlavi. However, it lacks a title and direct information regarding the poet's identity, aside from the poetic surname "Saqib". This study aimed to introduce the manuscript and its stylistic significance while addressing the question of which poet bearing the surname "Saqib" authored these verses.The article analyzed the bibliographic details of the manuscript using library and document research methods, highlighting its notable features. The findings indicated that the poetry reflected the poet's engagement with new themes, particularly Indian romantic stories. Additionally, the text included Turkish verses and referenced to Fath Ali Shah Qajar, as well as elements of Indian culture. An examination of the biographies of poets known as "Saqib", especially Mohammad Hossein Saqib and Saqib Dehlavi—both listed in the Malik National Library's records—suggested that attributing this work to Mohammad Hossein Saqib was unlikely. Instead, Shahabuddin Saqib Dehlavi might be the more plausible author until further evidence would emerge.The manuscript comprised a preface, sonnets, quatrains, masnavis, odes, humorous pieces, and compositions of stanzas. Key themes included romantic tales, anecdotes, didactic and moral topics, descriptions, debates, and praise of the Imams. The variety of poetic forms and the originality of the subject matter, particularly in the fictional masnavis, warranted significant attention.

The discovery of original source materials in ancient texts is highly significant for scholars. Revisers often rely on secondary sources in addition to older and more authoritative text versions when correcting and annotating literary works. These secondary sources encompass a range of materials, including translations, summaries, contemporaneous texts, and works utilized by the original author. One such important secondary source is the Persian text "Kanz al-Ma'āref", which provides insights into the Barmakid dynasty. This work was written by Abd al-Jalil ibn Yaḥyā Yazdi and presented to Shāh Shudja' upon completion in central Iran in the 8th century. Two copies of Kanz al-Ma'āref, numbered 1342 and 1351, are housed in the National Library of France, while another copy is held in the Āref Ḥekmat Library in Medina though currently inaccessible. Beyond its historical significance in enhancing our understanding of the Barmakids, Kanz al-Ma'āref contains valuable textual passages that can be leveraged for analysis and correction of ancient verse and prose texts. The author incorporated various literary sources and quoted verses and phrases, making it a rich resource for scholars. This essay presented examples of such cases categorized into three groups: instances where the Kanz al-Ma'āref recording was more accurate than the corrected version; cases where one or more corrections of the original texts were accurate, while the Kanz al-Ma'āref recording was inaccurate; and situations where both the Kanz al-Ma'āref recording and the published correction(s) were correct, but the Kanz al-Ma'āref version was considered superior.

Zubdat al- Fawāʾid, known as Farhang Shirkhani is a Persian dictionary written by ShirKhan Barmazid Sūr in the subcontinent in the middle of the 10th century. This dictionary is compiled to help understand poetry and the difficulties of Persian poems. It is based on poetic evidence and explanations about poems. The compilation of the book is divided into Bāb and Fasl, the first letter of each word is named Bāb and the last letter is named Fasl. Zubdat al- Fawāʾid has twenty-eight Bābs, and the alphabetical order in the middle letters of the entry word is not considered and this causes its use to be inconvenient. The main entries of the book include headwords (lexicon, proper nouns, synthesis, hemistich, and couplet), pronunciation, definition, and poetic evidence. Apart from linguistic benefits, Farhang Shirkhani is especially important due to its literary information about the interpretations of literary texts and dictionaries common in its era. So far, this dictionary has not been published, but several manuscripts of it are known.

Rowzat al-Nazer and Nozhat al-Khater is a significant and esteemed anthology from the 8th century. Before exploring the main topic, it was essential to clarify an important distinction: there were three texts with similar titles. The first, Rowzat al-Nazer and Nozhat al-Khater by Abd al-Aziz Kashi, was the primary text and the focus of this research. This manuscript was housed in the Istanbul University Library and consisted of a collection of Arabic and Persian poetry (See: Kashi, n.d., No. 766 F).Fenkhā described this text as follows: "It is a substantial book compiled by Abd al-Aziz Kashi in one large volume divided into 3 sections: 1. Praises, wisdom, and etiquette, which is further divided into 2 chapters: the first containing 50 sections and the second containing 15 sections; 2. Various stories organized into 22 chapters, some of which are divided into several sections; 3. Miscellaneous topics presented in 8 chapters. The book includes both Persian and Arabic poetry" (Derayati, 2011/17: 241). However, it seemed that Derayati had erred in his description of the text's chapters as the arrangement differed from what was referenced. Additionally, while Derayati attributed a copying date of 792 to Rowzat al-Nazer, the manuscript itself lacked both a specific copying date and information about the scribe.Seyyed Ali Mirafzali commented on this issue: "The date of this book remains unknown. However, since Abul-Majd Tabrizi mentions him with a prayer phrase in 723 AH while copying Resaleh Qalamiyeh, another work by the author, it can be inferred that the compilation of Rowzat al-Nazer has likely occurred in the first quarter or at most the second quarter of the 8th century." (Mirafzali, 2003: 97)The second text titled Rowzat al-Nazer, Nozhat al-Khater was distinct from Abd al-Aziz Kashi's poetry anthology. This manuscript was housed in the Hagia Sophia Library and was cataloged as No. 4020. It consisted of a collection of stories organized into 15 chapters with poems interspersed throughout the narratives (See: Unknown author, 881, no scribe, No. 4020). Notably, Fenkhā also attributed this text to Abd al-Aziz Kashi (See: Derayati, 2011/17: 242).The third text, also titled Rowzat al-Nazer and Nozhat al-Khater, appeared to be an abridgment of Kashi's original work. This manuscript was located in the Hagia Sophia Library and was cataloged as No. 4019. It summarized the poems found in the Istanbul manuscript but did not attribute the poets' names (Unknown author, n.d., no scribe). In the catalog of Iranian manuscripts, this version was referred to as an excerpt from the Istanbul manuscript and was attributed to Abd al-Aziz Kashi (See: Derayati, 2011/17: 242); however, the original manuscript did not mention the author's name.

This research employed a descriptive-analytical approach. The manuscript of Rowzat al-Nazer and Nozhat al-Khater served as the primary source for the study supplemented by other manuscripts and printed copies to verify or refute the attributions being examined.

The analysis of the anthology Rowzat al-Nazer and Nozhat al-Khater yielded important insights into the accuracy of attributions made within this 8th-century collection of Persian and Arabic poetry. The findings from our investigation into several dubious attributions are summarized below:Incorrect Attribution to SaadiThe anthology contained a three-line poem that had been attributed to the renowned poet Saadi. Our investigation definitively established that this attribution was incorrect, suggesting that either the poem belonged to another poet or was a piece of lesser-known origin.

Valid Attribution to Vatvat:

A ghazal attributed to Vatvat in the anthology appeared in the printed Diwan of Rashid, corroborating its authenticity. Conversely, the attribution of this same ghazal to Saadi, as noted in the appendix of Saadi's ghazals in Foroughi's edition, was incorrect. This discrepancy highlighted the need for careful scrutiny of attributions in poetic collections.

Plausible Attribution to Sanai:

Several lines from a qasida had been attributed to Sanai and this attribution appeared plausible based on stylistic and thematic elements. However, a competing claim by Modarres Razavi suggested that these lines might actually belong to Abd al-Vasea Jabali, indicating the complexity of authorship in poetic traditions and the necessity for further comparative analysis.

Mixed Attributions to Ez al-Din Mahmoud Kashi:

The anthology featured two quatrains attributed to Ez al-Din Mahmoud Kashi. Our findings confirmed that one of these attributions was accurate, while the other was not. This highlighted the challenges of verifying authorship, particularly when multiple works were ascribed to a single poet.

Accurate Attribution to Athir Akhsikati:

The attribution of a quatrain to Athir Akhsikati had been verified as accurate. This finding reinforced the significance of this poet in the anthology and contributed to a better understanding of the literary landscape of the time.

Attribution in the Dispute between Rudaki and Kamal:

In a notable dispute between Rudaki and Kamal regarding a quatrain, our analysis suggested that it was more logical to attribute this work to Kamal. This finding illustrated the intricate interrelations among poets of the era and the interpretive challenges in attributing works correctly.

Questionable Attribution to Saadi:

Finally, three lines critical of women, which were presented in the form of a Masnavi, had been attributed to Saadi. However, our investigation raised significant doubts about this attribution, suggesting that it might not accurately reflect Saadi's body of work or thematic concerns.

The anthology Rowzat al-Nazer and Nozhat al-Khater was a significant contribution to our literary history from the 8th century AH, particularly in its role in attributing poems to poets active before this period. However, it is important to acknowledge that some erroneous attributions existed within the anthology. This research examined several dubious attributions, yielding the following

The attribution of a three-line poem to Saadi was definitively incorrect. A ghazal attributed to Vatvat in this anthology appeared in the printed Diwan of Rashid, suggesting that this attribution was accurate. Conversely, the attribution of this ghazal to Saadi, as noted in the appendix of Saadi's ghazals in Foroughi's edition, was incorrect. Several lines from a qasida had been attributed to Sanai and this attribution appeared plausible. However, Modarres Razavi, in his discussion of this qasida in Sanai's Diwan, suggested it might actually be by Abd al-Vasea Jabali. Two quatrains had been attributed to Ez al-Din Mahmoud Kashi; one attribution was correct while the other was not. The attribution of a quatrain to Athir Akhsikati was accurate. In a dispute between Rudaki and Kamal regarding a quatrain, it seemed more logical to attribute the work to Kamal. Three lines, presented in the form of a Masnavi and critical of women, had been attributed to Saadi; however, this attribution was highly questionable.