مثنوی معنوی

Walters Ms. W.625, Collection of poems (masnavi)

Walters Ms. W.625, Collection of poems (masnavi)

Mas̱navī-i maʿnavī

مثنوى معنوى

Jalāl al-Dīn Rūmī, Maulana, 1207-1273 (author)

Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad ibn Bahāʾ al-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī (author)

Jalāl al-Dīn Rūmī (d. 672 AH / 1273 CE) (author)

جلال الدين محمد بن بهاء الدين محمد رومى (author)

Aḥmad ibn Ḥājjī Abī Bakr al-Kātib (scribe)

This is an illuminated copy of the collection of poems known as Mas̱navī-i maʿnavī by Jalāl al-Dīn Rūmī (d. 672 AH / 1273 CE), likely produced in Timurid Iran. The Mas̱navī-i maʿnavī, which is a didactic poetical work divided into six books or booklets (daftars), is of particular importance in the tradition of Sufism. According to the colophon, written in Arabic, this copy was completed in 865 AH / 1461 CE by Aḥmad ibn Ḥājjī Abī Bakr al-Kātib (fol. 311a). Each of the six books is introduced by a preface in Arabic or Persian, executed largely in gold tawqīʿ script (fols. 1b-2a, 51b-52a, 95b-96a, 155b-156a, 203b-204a, and 256b-257a). The text proper is written in black nastaʿlīq script, with illuminated titlepieces inscribed in a decorated New Abbasid (broken cursive) style (fols. 2b, 52b, 96b, 156b, 204b, and 257b). The dark red leather binding is not original to the manuscript and dates to the thirteenth century AH / nineteenth CE. For full description, see http://www.thedigitalwalters.org/Data/WaltersManuscripts/html/W625/description.html

The primary language in this manuscript is Persian. The secondary language of this manuscript is Arabic.

Gold and blue medallion (no inscription) (fol. 1a); double-page illuminated frontispiece with the beginning of the first book in nastaʿlīq script with decorated New Abbasid (broken cursive) style and inscriptions in four compartments (fols. 2b-3a); illuminated prefaces to the six books in gold tawqīʿ script with some words highlighted in blue (fols. 1b-2a, 51b-52a, 95b-96a, 155b-156a, 203b-204a, and 256b-257a); five titlepieces introducing the books with an inscription in decorated New Abbasid (broken cursive) style (fol. 52b: al-mujallad al-thānī min al-Mathnawī; fol. 96b: al-mujallad al-thālith min al-Mathnawī; fol. 156b: al-mujallad al-rābiʿ; fol. 204b: al-mujallad al-khāmis min al-Mathnawī; fol. 257b: al-mujallad al-sādis); floral and foliate decoration in gold (fols. 1a, 51a, 95a, 203a, and 311a)

fol. 1a Frontispiece with illuminated medallion Frontispiece; medallion This page, which opens the book, has an illuminated medallion outlined in blue with radiating blue lines. The medallion is surrounded by illuminated floral decoration.

fol. 1b Illuminated preface to the first book of the Collection of poems (masnavi) Preface This is the right side of a double-page illuminated preface, written in Arabic, introducing the first book (daftar) of the Collection of poems (Mas̱navī-i maʿnavī). The text is written in gold and blue tawqīʿ script and there is interlinear decoration. The text area is framed by an illuminated border of gilt and polychrome decoration on a blue ground.

fol. 2a Illuminated preface to the first book of the Collection of poems (masnavi) Preface This is the left side of a double-page illuminated preface, written in Arabic, introducing the first book (daftar) of the Collection of poems (Mas̱navī-i maʿnavī). The text is written in gold and blue tawqīʿ script and there is interlinear decoration. The text area is framed by an illuminated border of gilt and polychrome decoration on a blue ground.

fol. 2b Double-page illuminated frontispiece Frontispiece This is the right side of a double-page illuminated frontispiece with inscriptions in decorated New Abbasid (broken cursive) style of the first book (daftar) of the Collection of poems (Mas̱navī-i maʿnavī).

fol. 3a Double-page illuminated frontispiece Frontispiece This is the left side of a double-page illuminated frontispiece with inscriptions in decorated New Abbasid (broken cursive) style of the first book (daftar) of the Collection of poems (Mas̱navī-i maʿnavī).

fol. 51a Finispiece of the first book of the Collection of poems (masnavi) Finispiece This illuminated page with floral decoration ends the first book (daftar) of the Collection of poems (Mas̱navī-i maʿnavī).

fol. 51b Illuminated preface to the second book of the Collection of poems (masnavi) Preface This is the right side of a double-page illuminated preface, written in Persian, to the second book (daftar) of the Collection of poems (Mas̱navī-i maʿnavī). The text area is framed by a border of gilt and polychrome decoration on a blue ground. Medallions are in the margins.

fol. 52a Illuminated preface to the second book of the Collection of poems (masnavi) Preface This is the left side of a double-page illuminated preface, written in Persian, to the second book (daftar) of the Collection of poems (Mas̱navī-i maʿnavī). The text area is framed by a border of gilt and polychrome decoration on a blue ground. Medallions are in the margins.

fol. 52b Incipit with illuminated titlepiece introducing the second book of the Collection of poems (masnavi) Incipit; titlepiece This illuminated titlepiece introduces the second book (daftar) of the Collection of poems (Mas̱navī-i maʿnavī), with the inscription in decorated New Abbasid (broken cursive) style reading: al-mujallad al-thānī min al-Mathnawī.

fol. 95a Explicit of the second book of the Collection of poems (masnavi) Explicit This is the illuminated final page of the second book (daftar) of the Collection of poems (Mas̱navī-i maʿnavī).

fol. 95b Illuminated preface to the third book of the Collection of poems (masnavi) Preface This is the right side of a double-page illuminated preface, written in Arabic, to the third book (daftar) of the Collection of poems (Mas̱navī-i maʿnavī). The text is written in gold tawqīʿ script. The text area is framed by a border of gilt and polychrome decoration on a blue ground.

fol. 96a Illuminated preface to the third book of the Collection of poems (masnavi) Preface This is the left side of a double-page illuminated preface, written in Arabic, to the third book (daftar) of the Collection of poems (Mas̱navī-i maʿnavī). The text is written in gold tawqīʿ script. The text area is framed by a border of gilt and polychrome decoration on a blue ground.

fol. 96b Incipit with illuminated titlepiece introducing the third book of the Collection of poems (masnavi) Incipit; titlepiece This illuminated titlepiece introduces the third book (daftar) of the Collection of poems (Mas̱navī-i maʿnavī).

fol. 155b Illuminated preface to the fourth book of the Collection of poems (masnavi) Preface This is the right side of a double-page illuminated preface, written in Arabic, to the fourth book (daftar) of the Collection of poems (Mas̱navī-i maʿnavī). The text is written in gold tawqīʿ script. The text area is framed by a border of gilt and polychrome decoration on a blue ground.

fol. 156a Illuminated preface to the fourth book of the Collection of poems (masnavi). Preface This is the left side of a double-page illuminated preface, written in Arabic, to the fourth book (daftar) of the Collection of poems (Mas̱navī-i maʿnavī). The text is written in gold tawqīʿ script. The text area is framed by a border of gilt and polychrome decoration on a blue ground.

fol. 156b Incipit with illuminated titlepeice introducing the fourth book of the Collection of poems (masnavi) Incipit; titlepeice This illuminated titlepiece introduces the fourth book (daftar) of the Collection of poems (Mas̱navī-i maʿnavī).

fol. 203b Illuminated preface to the fifth book of the Collection of poems (masnavi) Preface This is the right side of a double-page illuminated preface, written in Persian, to the fifth book (daftar) of the Collection of poems (Mas̱navī-i maʿnavī). The text is written in gold tawqīʿ script. The text area is framed by a border of gilt and polychrome decoration on a blue ground.

fol. 204a Illuminated preface to the fifth book of the Collection of poems (masnavi) Preface This is the left side of a double-page illuminated preface, written in Persian, to the fifth book (daftar) of the Collection of poems (Mas̱navī-i maʿnavī). The text is written in gold tawqīʿ script. The text area is framed by a border of gilt and polychrome decoration on a blue ground.

fol. 204b Incipit with illuminated titlepiece introducing the fifth book of the Collection of poems (masnavi) Incipt; titlepiece This illuminated titlepiece introduces the fifth book (daftar) of the Collection of poems (Mas̱navī-i maʿnavī).

fol. 256b Illuminated preface to the sixth book of the Collection of poems (masnavi) Preface This is the right side of a double-page illuminated preface, written in Persian, to the sixth book (daftar) of the Collection of poems (Mas̱navī-i maʿnavī).

fol. 257a Illuminated preface to the sixth book of the Collection of poems (masnavi) Preface This is the left side of a double-page illuminated preface, written in Persian, to the sixth book (daftar) of the Collection of poems (Mas̱navī-i maʿnavī).

fol. 257b Incipit with illuminated titlepiece introducing the sixth book of the Collection of poems (masnavi) Incipit; titlepiece This illuminated titlepiece introduces the sixth book (daftar) of the Collection of poems (Mas̱navī-i maʿnavī).

fol. 311a Illuminated colophon to the Collection of poems (masnavi) Colophon According to this colophon, written in Arabic, the manuscript was completed in 865 AH / 1461 CE by Aḥmad ibn Ḥājjī Abī Bakr al-Kātib. It reads as follows: tamma al-kitābu al-Mathnawī al-maʿnawī al-mawlawī wa-al-ḥamd li-Llāh taʿālá wa-ḥusn tawfīqih /1/ wa-al-ṣal<ā>h wa-al-salām wa-la-taḥīyah wa-al-ikrāmu ʿalá khayr khalqih Muḥammad wa-ālih wa-ṣaḥbih /2/ ajmaʿīn al-ṭayyibīn al-ṭāhirīn wa-sallama taslīman /3/ ʿalá yad aḍʿaf ʿibād Allāh taʿālá /4/ wa-aḥwajihim ilá ʿafwih wa-ghufrānih /5/ Aḥmad ibn Ḥājjī Abī Bakr al-Kātib ʿafā Allāh /6/ ʿanhumā fī ḥijjah [sic] khams wa-sittīn wa-thamānimiʾah /7/ Allahumma ighfir li-ṣāḥibih wa-li-kātibih /8/ wa-li-qāriʾih wa-li-jamīʿ al-muʾminīn /9/ wa-al-muʾmināt /10/ m [=tamma] /11/

[Dhū al-]Ḥijjah 865 AH / 1461 CE

Walters Art Museum, 1931, by Henry Walters bequest

Persian

Arabic

paper

image/jpeg

1461

All Walters manuscript images and descriptions provided here are copyrighted © The Walters Art Museum.