G. 11 (University Library, Cambridge University)
E. G. Browne Collection
Contents
Summary of Contents: (۱) خاتمه روضة الصفاء (٢) عجائب الأشياء A manuscript of 72 ff. of 27'4 x 19'2 c. and 25 ll.; written in a clear modern
mashh with rubrications, and containing: (1) The Khatima or Conclusion (Book vi) of Mirkhwand's Rawdata's Safa
treating of geography and biography (ff. 3-44). See Rieu's Persian Catalogue,
P. 93. (2) The Ajaibu'l-Ashya (or-n'd Dunya), "Wonderful Things," or "Wonders
of the World," by Abu'l-Mu'ayyad Abú Muti al-Balkhi (ff. 44 72), who wrote it
for Abu'l-Qasim Núḥ ibn Mansúr the Sámáni (reigned over Khurásán from 366/
976 until 387/996-7). The text before us must, however, be a much later transla-
tion of an Arabic or recension of a Persian original, for on f. 46, 1. 9, occurs the
following passage: حکایت در سنه ثلاث وعشر وستمائة كه من بنده در سفر حجاز بودم بکنار دریای مصر رسیدم
و از آن جماعت که آنجا مقیم اند پرسیدم که عجایب دریا چیست گفتند که سنگ این دریا شکل
خرچنگ دارد بزرك و كوچك چنانکه گویا خرچنگ بوده است که بسنگ شده و آنرا سرطان بحری
گویند و در داروهای چشم بکار برند و عظیم سودمند است، "Anecdote.-In the year 613/1216-7 when I was travelling to the Hijáz I arrived
at the shore of the Egyptian Sea, and enquired of the people who abode there what
were the marvels of the Sea. They answered, 'The stones of this sea have the
shape of crabs, great and small, so that one would say that they were crabs which
had become stone.' These they call marine crabs,' and they use them in eye-
salves, where they are mighty useful." The work consists entirely of short anecdotes like this, preceded by the follow-
ing brief introduction: رسالة عجايب الاشياء من كلام ابو مطيع البلخي رحمة الله عليه بسم الله الرّحمن الرّحيم وبه نستعين چنین گوید ابو المؤيد ابو مطيع بلخی رحمة الله علیه که مرا از طفلی هوس گردیدن عالم در سر
افتاده بود و از مردم تجار و اهل بحث عجايبها شنیدم و آنچه در کتب خواندم جمله بنوشتم و جمع
کردم و از بهر پادشاه جهان امیر خراسان ملك مشرف ابو القسم نوح بن منصور مولى امير المؤمنين
تا او را از آن مطالعه مؤانست بود و حق نعمت او را گذارده باشم که بر من و عالمیان واجب است
میسر باد، آغاز کتاب چنین گوید ابو مطیع بلخی که در هندوستان درختیست الخ The anecdotes refer to India, Andalusia, Rúm (Asia Minor), Syria, Tabaristán,
Bukhara, Turkistan, Yaman, Nubia, Daylam, Khurasan, Nihawand, Adharbayjan,
Samarqand, China, Egypt, Sístán, Kish (Persian Gulf), the China Sea, etc. It is
worth noting that on f. 68" occurs a quotation from the Firdawsu'l-Hikmat of 'Ali
b. Rabban at-Tabarí, of which the Arabic original has been found by Mr M. Z.
Siddiqi, formerly Government of India Research Student in the University of
Cambridge, on f. 241 of the British Museum MS. of this work.
mashh with rubrications, and containing: (1) The Khatima or Conclusion (Book vi) of Mirkhwand's Rawdata's Safa
treating of geography and biography (ff. 3-44). See Rieu's Persian Catalogue,
P. 93. (2) The Ajaibu'l-Ashya (or-n'd Dunya), "Wonderful Things," or "Wonders
of the World," by Abu'l-Mu'ayyad Abú Muti al-Balkhi (ff. 44 72), who wrote it
for Abu'l-Qasim Núḥ ibn Mansúr the Sámáni (reigned over Khurásán from 366/
976 until 387/996-7). The text before us must, however, be a much later transla-
tion of an Arabic or recension of a Persian original, for on f. 46, 1. 9, occurs the
following passage: حکایت در سنه ثلاث وعشر وستمائة كه من بنده در سفر حجاز بودم بکنار دریای مصر رسیدم
و از آن جماعت که آنجا مقیم اند پرسیدم که عجایب دریا چیست گفتند که سنگ این دریا شکل
خرچنگ دارد بزرك و كوچك چنانکه گویا خرچنگ بوده است که بسنگ شده و آنرا سرطان بحری
گویند و در داروهای چشم بکار برند و عظیم سودمند است، "Anecdote.-In the year 613/1216-7 when I was travelling to the Hijáz I arrived
at the shore of the Egyptian Sea, and enquired of the people who abode there what
were the marvels of the Sea. They answered, 'The stones of this sea have the
shape of crabs, great and small, so that one would say that they were crabs which
had become stone.' These they call marine crabs,' and they use them in eye-
salves, where they are mighty useful." The work consists entirely of short anecdotes like this, preceded by the follow-
ing brief introduction: رسالة عجايب الاشياء من كلام ابو مطيع البلخي رحمة الله عليه بسم الله الرّحمن الرّحيم وبه نستعين چنین گوید ابو المؤيد ابو مطيع بلخی رحمة الله علیه که مرا از طفلی هوس گردیدن عالم در سر
افتاده بود و از مردم تجار و اهل بحث عجايبها شنیدم و آنچه در کتب خواندم جمله بنوشتم و جمع
کردم و از بهر پادشاه جهان امیر خراسان ملك مشرف ابو القسم نوح بن منصور مولى امير المؤمنين
تا او را از آن مطالعه مؤانست بود و حق نعمت او را گذارده باشم که بر من و عالمیان واجب است
میسر باد، آغاز کتاب چنین گوید ابو مطیع بلخی که در هندوستان درختیست الخ The anecdotes refer to India, Andalusia, Rúm (Asia Minor), Syria, Tabaristán,
Bukhara, Turkistan, Yaman, Nubia, Daylam, Khurasan, Nihawand, Adharbayjan,
Samarqand, China, Egypt, Sístán, Kish (Persian Gulf), the China Sea, etc. It is
worth noting that on f. 68" occurs a quotation from the Firdawsu'l-Hikmat of 'Ali
b. Rabban at-Tabarí, of which the Arabic original has been found by Mr M. Z.
Siddiqi, formerly Government of India Research Student in the University of
Cambridge, on f. 241 of the British Museum MS. of this work.
2. ff. 44b-72b
Title: ʻAjāʼib al-ashyāʼ
Title: ʻAjāʼib al-dunyā
Title: عجائب الاشياء
Title: عجائب الدنيا
Language(s): Persian
Physical Description
Form: codex
Support: Paper
Extent: Ff. 72
Dimensions: 27.4 × 19.2 cm.
Layout
25 lines
Hand(s)
Written in a clear modern naskh with rubrications.
History
Origin: undated
Provenance and Acquisition
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
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Funding of Cataloguing
JISC
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