Union Catalogue of Manuscripts from the Islamicate World

V. 66 (University Library, Cambridge University)

E. G. Browne Collection

Contents

Summary of Contents: جواهر خمسه Selections from the Diwáns of five Persian poets who flourished about the end
of the fifteenth and beginning of the sixteenth centuries of the Christian era, namely,
Ásafi, Hilálí, Áhí, Sháhí and Ahlí, to which is prefixed a much later prose Preface
written in 1120/1709, for Prince Muhammad Farrukh-Siyar (reigned 1124/1713-
1131/1719) before he succeeded to the throne.
This finely-written and finely-bound MS. was one of seven bought of J. J.
Naaman in September, 1901, for £20. It comprises 234 ff. of 22'3 x 14'5 c. and
14 ll. and comprises:
(1) The prose Preface (Díbácha) mentioned above (ff. 1-8), beginning: انواع حمد و ثنای بی مر ذات پاک بی نیاز بی انبازی را الخ .... مكشوف ضمایر ارباب
آید که چون نسخه دیوان شاهی و آصفی و هلالی و اهلی و آهی از جمله
بصایر گردانیده می
دیوانها بجهة ترشيح و تنقيح مبانی و تقریر و تحریر معانی و علو مضامین مطالب و سمو مقاصد
و مارب ممتاز بوده الخ
The date of this Preface (1120/1709) is given in the following chronogram
(f. 7):
شیری شکار کرد که آسود خلق ازوشیر از ستم بمانده بود سال این شکار
The Preface is in a good, legible ta'liq, larger and more modern than the
remainder of the MS.
(2) The Diwan of Asafi (ff. 9-79), beginning: ساز آباد خدایا دل ویرانی را یا مده مهر بتان هیچمسلمانی را

Aşafi died on Sha'bán 16, 923/Sept. 3, 1517. See Rieu's Persian Catalogue,
pp. 651-652.
(3) The Diwan of Hilali (ff. So-124"), dated in the colophon 990/1582 and
beginning:
بگذار که در روی تو بینیم خدارا
ای نور خدا در نظر از روی تو مارا
Hilálí was killed by the Uzbeks in 939/1532-3. See Rieu, loc. cit., p. 656.
(4) The Diwan of Åhi (ff. 125-154), dated in the colophon 990/1582 and
beginning:
ماند غزال چشم تو چشم غزاله را
ای صد خجالت از گل روی تو لاله را
Áhí died in 927/1521. See Ethé's Bodl. Pers. Cat., col. 644. (5) The Diwán of Sháhí (ff. 155-192b), also dated 990/1582 and beginning: آغشته منزلها مرو كز اشك مشتاقان بخون
بیا ای از خط سبزت هزاران داغ بر دلها
Sháhí died in 857/1453. See Rieu, op. cit., p. 640. (6) The Diwán of Ahlí (ff. 194-234), lacking the opening lines of the first or
the first and second ghazals, f. 193, though ruled, being left blank. The first
complete ghazal (f. 194", l. 5) begins:
نیست بیم از کشتن و از سوختن پروا مرا
تا چو شمع افتاد در سر آتش سودا مرا
There were two well-known poets who wrote under the pen-name of Ahlí, one
of Shíráz, who died in 942/1535-6, and the other of Turshíz, who died in 934/1527-8.
See Rieu, op. cit., pp. 657-658. This portion of the MS. is undated, but was copied
by Mirzá Sáliby Gháziyáni, whereas the name occurring in two previous colophons
(ff. 124 and 192) is Mir Hilmiyya.
The writing is throughout an excellent ta'liq, though older, smaller and better
in the body of the manuscript than in the Preface, which was added to it a century
and a quarter later.
1. ff. 1b-8b

Language(s): Persian
2. ff. 9b-79a

Language(s): Persian
4. ff. 125b-154a

Language(s): Persian

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: Paper
Extent: Ff. 234
Dimensions: 22'3 × 14'5 cm.

Layout

14 lines

Hand(s)

The writing is throughout an excellent ta'liq, though older, smaller and better in the body of the manuscript than in the Preface, which was added to it a century and a quarter later. The Preface is in a good, legible ta'liq, larger and more modern than the remainder of the MS.

History

Origin: 1120 AH; 1709 CE 990 AH; 1582 CE

Provenance and Acquisition

This finely-written and finely-bound MS. was one of seven bought of J. J.
Naaman in September, 1901, for 20.

Bequest of E. G. Browne.

Record Sources

Availability

Entry to read in the Library is permitted only on presentation of a valid reader's card for admissions procedures contact Cambridge University Library Admissions). Contact near_eastern@lib.cam.ac.uk for further information on the availability of this manuscript

Funding of Cataloguing

JISC


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