V. 8 (University Library, Cambridge University)
E. G. Browne Collection
Contents
Summary of Contents: مظهر العجايب شيخ عطار A MS. written in a very cursive Persian taliq and completed in Safar 1286/ May June, 1869, of the Mazharul Ajaib of Shaykh Faridu'd-Din 'Attar. It was obtained from the Belshah collection in January, 1920, and comprises 264 ff. of 21'3 x 15'9 c. and 16 ll. (bayts) in the body of the text with 12 in the margin. It appears to contain at least two different poems. The first, beginning : آفرین جان آفرین بر جان جانزآنکه او هست آشکارا و نهانis the Maskaru'l-Ajaib. It ends on f. 142, and is followed, after a short colophon and a new Bismi'lláh, by a "second book" (دفتر ثانی), another mathnawi poem in a different metre (hazaj instead of ramal) beginning: شوی واصل بدریای یقین توانا الحق گوئی و منصور بین تو From a prose statement on ff. 262-263, beginning "here ends the Book of the Mazharul Ajaib," it would appear that the copyist's object was to prove that it was really written by 'Attár, a fact denied by the 'ulamá of Samarqand, who caused it to be publicly burned as spurious and heretical in the beginning of Rajab 882/ Oct. 9, 1477, and that similar Shi'a tendencies are to be found in other poems by Attár. Presumably some of the citations given are from these, for the contents of the volume seem too extensive to represent only this one poem. On f. 263b a number of citations from various poets are given to show how highly 'Aṭṭár was esteemed by such men as Shaykh Mahmud Shabistarí, Jámí, Kátibí of Nishápúr, and Jalálu'd-Dín Rúmí.
Physical Description
Form: codex
Support: Paper
Extent: Ff. 264
Dimensions: 21.3 × 15.9 cm.
Layout
16 lines
Hand(s)
Cursive Persian taliq
History
Origin: 1286 AH; 1869 CE
Provenance and Acquisition
Obtained from the Belshah collection in January, 1920.
Bequest of E. G. Browne.
Record Sources
Summary, physical description and provenance copied from R. A. Nicholson: A descriptive catalogue of the Oriental MSS belonging to the late E.G. Browne. Cambridge, 1932.
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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