Persian MS 996 (The John Rylands Research Institute and Library, The University of Manchester)

Persian Manuscripts

Summary of Contents: A sole surviving carbon copy of Sunāt-i Dihkadah (Village Sonata), a musical opera in three acts composed by modern Iranian poet, Dr. Majd al-Dīn Mīr Fakhrā'ī (1910–1972), pen-named Gulchīn-i Gīlānī (Rose-plucker of Gilan), on Christmas, 1947 in London. He sent it together with an autograph letter to Professor A. J. Arberry, 28 Dec 1947.

Author: Mīr Fakhrā'ī, Majd al-Dīn, 1910–1972
Gulchīn-i Gīlānī;
میر فخرائی، مجید الدین، ۱۹۱۰-۱۹۷۲
گلچین گیلانی

Addressee: Arberry, A. J. [Arthur John], 1905–1969

Title: Letter to A. J. Arberry‌

Title: Letter dated December 28^th, 1947

Incipit: (beginning) Dear Professor Arberry,
I am enclosing a copy of "The Village Sonata" which I wrote this Christmas...

Colophon: No colophon

Language(s): Persian

Author: Mīr Fakhrā'ī, Majd al-Dīn, 1910–1972;
میر فخرائی، مجید الدین، ۱۹۱۰-۱۹۷۲

Title: Sunāt-i Dihkadah‌
سُنات دهکده

Title: Village Sonata

Colophon: No colophon

For a full analysis and translation, see Rafiee-Rad.

Language(s): Persian

Title: Title Pages

Title: Khvānandigān
خواندگان

Title: Characters

Title: Pardah-'i Nakhust
پردهٔ نخست

Title: Act One

Incipit: (beginning) برگ ۴ر (Folio 4a): کلبهٔ آهنگر. در جلو کلبه یک باغچه. در گوشهٔ باغچه یک لانهٔ بزرگ مرغ‌ها. در جلوی پرچین باغچه یک جاده]...

Title: Pardah-'i Duvvūm
پردهٔ دوّم

Title: Act Two

Title: Pardah-'i Shishum
پردهٔ ششم

Title: Act Three

Explicit: [صدای زنگ ساعت کلیا بگوش میرسد]
همه با هم:
بزن ای دل
دل دیوانه
چون زنگ
بزن ای دل
دل بیگانه
چون چنگ
خوش آهنگ
[پرده میافتد.]

Physical Description

Form: codex

Support: Comprised of two types of thin-weight, machine-made wove letter paper manufactured in Britain.

Dimensions (leaf): 210 × 170 mm.

Foliation: Pagination commences with 5 on the second folio, which suggests the author possibly omitted a different initial page from the carbon copy.

Collation

Probably 3IV(47). No catchwords.

Condition

Text in good condition.

Layout

Written in 1 column with variant lines per page. Unruled.

Hand(s)

Written in a combination of black ink for handwritten English and Persian nasta‘līq at the beginning, followed by blue carbon copies that the author made from his original manuscript, now lost.

Additions:

Binding

pamphlet-stitched through the spine. Covered in a semi-limp craft paper wrapper as a pamphlet by the author.

The cover bears various handpainted figures and decorative flourishes by the author, augmented with decoupage elements of horses, birds, and flowers.

210 × 170 × 11 mm.

Handle binding with caution. In fragile but stable condition.

History

Origin: Composed by Majd al-Dīn Mīr Fakhrā'ī (1910–1972), pen-named Gulchīn-i Gīlānī (Rose-plucker of Gilan), in London; Christmas, 1947 CE.

Provenance and Acquisition

Sent by the author to A.J. Arberry (1905–1969) on 28 Dec. 1947 CE

Subsequently acquired by University of Manchester Professor J. A. Boyle (1916–1978) from an unidentified source, possibly from Arberry himself.

Bequeathed by J. A. Boyle to the University of Manchester, Feb. 1990.

Record Sources

Bibliographical description derived from an unpublished handlist of additional Persian manuscripts.

Manuscript description by Jake Benson in 2024 .

Availability

To book an in-person or online appointment to consult the manuscript, visit Using the Special Collections Reading Rooms. For any other enquiries please email uml.special-collections@manchester.ac.uk.

Bibliography

A. Karimi-Hakkak and A Katouzian, 'Golčin Gīlānī' Encyclopædia Iranica Vol. XI, Fasc. 1 (2001) pp. 65–67.

S. Rafiee-Rad, 'The Lost Voice of a Contemporary Iranian Writer in a Play', Persian Literary Studies Journal, Vol. 7, No. 11 (May, 2018): pp. 1–18.

Funding of Cataloguing

Soudavar Memorial Foundation and The John Rylands Research Institute

The John Rylands Research Institute and Library

The Soudavar Memorial Foundation

Subjects

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