MS. Laud Or. 181 (Bodleian Library, Oxford University)

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The ball and the bat, a mystical mes̠nevī by Maḥmūd bin ʿOs̠mān bin ʿAlī with the taḫalluṣ Lāmiʿī, the renowned poet, who died AH 937 or 938=AD 1531 (see above, Nos. 2103-2105). A detailed account of all his works in prose and verse is given in Hammer, Osman. Dichtkunst, ii. p. 20 sq.; see also G. Flügel i. p. 628 sq.; Rieu, pp. 156, 175, 226, and 253, etc. The present poem is based, as in fact all the mes̠nevīs of Lāmiʿī are, on a Persian prototype, viz. on ʿĀrifī's well-known گوی و چوگان or حالنامه (composed AH 842=AD 1438/1439; see above, Nos. 872 and 873). Beginning of the introduction (توحید خدای) on fol. 1b: الحمد لخالق البرايا والشكر لواهب العطايا. Beginning of the story itself (آغاز کتاب گوی و چوگان) on fol. 30a: ایدون بو بیانده عزم میدان سوز طوپنه بویله اوردی چوگان. The mes̠nevī ends on fol. 642. On ff. 65 and 66 there is added a by Mesīḥī (who died AH 918 AD 1512/1513, see above, No. 2150). Not dated.

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