Persian MS 333 (The John Rylands Research Institute and Library, The University of Manchester)
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Contents
Summary of Contents: An undated copy of the Nuzhat al-Arvāḥ (Excursion of Spirits), a popular work on Ṣūfī spiritual life composed by Ḥusayn ibn ‘Alim ibn Ḥasan al-Ḥusaynī (d. 1318), known as Amir Ḥusainī or Fakhr al-Sādāt, in 711 AH (1311–1312 CE) when 40 years old. Comprised of twenty-eight faṣl (chapters) of a mixture of prose and poetry, it commences with an panegyric preface that praises God, the Prophet Muhammad, and the first four Caliphs, followed by a series of parables and proverbs that illustrate the mystical quest.Title: Nuzhat al-ArvāḥTitle: نزهة الارواحIncipit: (beginning) برگ ۱پ (folio 1b): بتوفیقش چو روشن دیدم آواز سخن راهم بنامش کردم آغاز بگو ای مرغ زیرک حمد مولی که هست اورا سپاس و منت اولیExplicit: برگ ۱۴۰پ (folio 140b): در ختم کتاب ای شب گرد بدروز سال عمرت بچهل رسیده و تو از جهل خود نارسیده... در شهور سنه احدی عشر و سبعماته مشاطه نشاط فکر بر بساط گردن و گوش هر یک را بزیور فصاحت و بلاغت مقرط و موشح گردانید بتوفیقش چو روشن دیدم آواز سخن راهم بنامش کردم آغاز بگو ای مرغ زیرک حمد مولی که هست اورا سپاس و منت اولی.Colophon: No colophon.For another copy of this work completed in 1006 AH (1597 CE), see Rylands Persian MS 682. For commentaries see Ethē and for lithographed editions, see Mushār.
Language(s): Persian2. 12bTitle: Faṣl 1Title: در مبداء سلوک2. 15bTitle: Faṣl 2Title: در معرفت سلوک3. 22aTitle: Faṣl 3Title: در بیان مقامات سالک4. 24bTitle: Faṣl 4Title: در نصیحت سالک5. 27bTitle: Faṣl 5Title: در بدو خلقت6. 30aTitle: Faṣl 6Title: در بیان وحدت7. 32aTitle: Faṣl 7Title: در تجرید سالک8. 36aTitle: Faṣl 8Title: در قاعده طریقت9. 40bTitle: Faṣl 9Title: در کمال استغفا10. 42bTitle: Faṣl 10Title: در آغاز فطرت11. 46bTitle: Faṣl 11Title: در اختلاف حالات12. 53aTitle: Faṣl 12Title: در بیان معرفت دل13. 56aTitle: Faṣl 13Title: در بیان تصفیۀ دل14. 61aTitle: Faṣl 14Title: در دیباچۀ عشق15. 65bTitle: Faṣl 15Title: در حقایق عشق16. 70bTitle: Faṣl 16Title: در حیرت عشق17. 75bTitle: Faṣl 17Title: در بیان نفس18. 79bTitle: Faṣl 18Title: در مخاطبۀ نفس19. 83aTitle: Faṣl 19Title: در معاملات کون و مکان20. 88aTitle: Faṣl 20Title: در جد و اجتهاد21. 93bTitle: Faṣl 21Title: در صحبت و متابعت22. 97bTitle: Faṣl 22Title: در ترک صحبت خلق23. 101aTitle: Faṣl 23Title: در صبر و تسلیم24. 107aTitle: Faṣl 24Title: در کشف معانی25. 120aTitle: Faṣl 25Title: در ارشاد و انتباه26. 124bTitle: Faṣl 26Title: در اشارات اهل طریقت27. 132bTitle: Faṣl 27Title: در نهایت اهل طریقت28. 139aTitle: Faṣl 28Title: در ختم کتابPhysical Description
Form: codexExtent: 142 folios, 11 fly leaves (ff. v + 142 + iv).Dimensions (leaf): 152 × 89 mm.Dimensions (written): 120 × 55 mm.Foliation: The first and seventh quires misarranged as follows:
First Quire: Folios 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 2, 7, and 8.
Second Quire: Folios 49, 50, 52, 51, 54, 53, 55, and 56.Collation
Primarily quaternions throughout. Catchword on every verso pageCondition
Handle text with caution. In fair condition with insect damaged areas and historical repairs.Layout
Written in a single column with 12 lines per page. Ruled with a misṭarah hand guide.
Hand(s)
Black nasta‘līq, with red subheaders and markings.
Decoration
Headpiece: Illuminated header on 1bRuling: Margins double-ruled in black and red throughout.
Additions:
Marginalia: notes and remarks in various hands throughout.
Inscriptions: the first right flyleaf a side (f. ia) bears the title in Persian, ‘نسخه نزهت الرواح’, a transliteration, ‘Nuzutalravah’ and transltaion into French as ‘Alrevah ou la Soirée’.
Bookplates: The left pastedown: ‘Bibliotheca Lindesiana’ with pencilled shelfmark ‘’, and ‘Bland MSS No. 553’.Binding
Repaired and firmly rebound in red calf leather
History
Origin: Unknown; undated but probably 18th century.Provenance and Acquisition
Subsequently acquired by scholar Nathaniel Bland (1803–1865) for his library at Randalls Park, Leatherhead. After his death, London bookseller Bernard Quaritch (1819–1899) sold his oriental manuscripts to Alexander Lindsay, 25th Earl of Crawford (1812–1880) in 1866, and moved to Bibliotheca Lindesiana at Haigh Hall, Wigan.
Purchased by Enriqueta Rylands (1843–1908) in 1901 from James Ludovic Lindsay, 26th Earl of Crawford (1847–1913).
Bequeathed by Enriqueta Rylands (1843–1908) in 1908 to the John Rylands Library, Manchester.
Record Sources
Bibliographical description based on an index created by Reza Navabpour circa 1993, derived from a manuscript catalogue by Michael Kerney, circa 1890s, concisely published as Bibliotheca Lindesiana, Hand-list of Oriental Manuscripts: Arabic, Persian, Turkish, 1898.
Manuscript description by Jake Benson in 2022 with reference to the volume in hand.
Availability
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Bibliography
For commentaries see Ethe, IO (1821)lithograph version see Mushar, 3265.Funding of Cataloguing
Iran Heritage Foundation
The John Rylands Research Institute
Subjects
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