جنگ اشعار؛ خمسۀ نظامی, خمسۀ امیرخسرو دهلوى, تيمورنامۀ هاتفى

Walters Ms. W.657, Three collections of poetry

Walters Ms. W.657, Three collections of poetry

Khamsah-i Niẓāmī

Khamsah-i Dihlavī

Timūrnāmah-i Hātifī

خمسه نظامي

خمسه دهلوى

تيمورنامه هاتفى

Niẓāmī Ganjavī, 1140 or 41-1202 or 3 (author)

Ilyās ibn Yūsuf Niẓāmī Ganjavī (author)

الياس بن يوسف نظامي گنجوي (author)

Amīr Khusraw Dihlavī, ca. 1253-1325 (author)

Amīr Khusraw Dihlavī (author)

امير خسرو دهلوي (author)

Hātifī, d. 1520 or 1 (author)

ʿAbd Allāh Hātifī (author)

عبد الله هاتفي (author)

This is an illustrated and illuminated composite volume of three poetic texts: the Khamsah (quintet) of Niẓāmī Ganjavī (d. 605 AH / 1209 CE), the Khamsah (quintet) of Amīr Khusraw Dihlavī (d. 725 AH / 1325 CE), and the Timūrnāmah (Epic of Timur) by ʿAbd Allāh Hātifī (d. 927 AH / 1520 CE), also known as the Ẓafarnāmah. The texts are written in black naskh script, with titles, section headings, and incidentals in white or red tawqīʿ/riqāʿ script. It was produced in the tenth century AH / sixteenth CE, in either India or Safavid Iran. The binding is not original to the manuscript. According to a note on front flyleaf iia, the codex was re-bound and restored by a bookbinder of Tabriz, Khwand Mullā Mahdī Ṣaḥḥāf-i Tabrīzī in 1295 AH /1878 CE. For full description, see http://www.thedigitalwalters.org/Data/WaltersManuscripts/html/W657/description.html

The primary language in this manuscript is Persian.

Illustrations; double-page illuminated frontispiece (right side now missing); incipit pages with headpieces; titlepieces introducing various works plus smaller pieces; blank spaces and some couplets missing on fols. 175a-175b

Illustrations; various works introduced by small illuminated titlepieces

Illustrations; illuminated rectangular piece occupying the outer area and the first column with the inscription: Tamarnāmah-i [sic] Hātifī ʿalayhi al-raḥmah

fol. 1a Double-page illuminated frontispiece with titlepiece Frontispiece; titlepiece This is the left side of a double-page illuminated frontispiece, inscribed in the central panel with the titles of the three works contained in the manuscript, as well as their locations within the frame. The facing page is now missing.

fol. 1b Incipit with illuminated titlepiece Incipit; titlepiece This illuminated titlepiece is inscribed in white tawqīʿ/riqāʿ script: Makhzan al-asrār-i Shaykh-i Niẓāmī ʿalayhi al-raḥmah. Three small triangular pieces at the beginning of the text introduce Maṭlaʿ al-anwār, the first poem of the Khamsah of Dihlavī. There is one cornerpiece with floral design.

fol. 13a An old woman implores Sultan Sanjar for help Illustration An old woman complains before Sultan Sanjar on horseback about feeling oppressed by his policeman.

fol. 26b Incipit with illuminated headpiece and titlepiece Incipit; headpiece; titlepiece This incipit page has two illuminated pieces, a headpiece and a titlepiece. The latter is in the lower panel, which is inscribed: Khusraw va Shīrīn-i Shaykh-i Niẓāmī.

fol. 39b Khusraw watching Shīrīn bathing Illustration

fol. 54b Incipit with illuminated headpiece and titlepiece Incipit; headpiece; titlepiece This incipit page has a few illuminated pieces. Above, there is a headpiece inscribed: huwa Allāh. At the right is a triangular piece and the inscription: Shīrin va Khusraw-i Amīr Khusraw.

fol. 62a Shīrīn visiting Farhād at Mt. Bisitūn Illustration

fol. 69b Shīrīn rides out to Bisitūn Illustration

fol. 70a Shīrīn on horseback giving a drink to Farhād Illustration

fol. 100a Illustrated finispiece with three men praying near a stream Illustration; finispiece This illustrated finispiece depicts three men praying by a stream. The scene makes reference to the final verses (a prayer) that conclude Khusraw va Shīrīn.

fol. 100b Incipit with illuminated headpiece and titlepiece Incipit; headpiece; titlepiece This incipit page has an illuminated headpiece and, in the lower panel, a titlepiece inscribed Laylá va Majnūn.

fol. 110b Laylá and Majnūn at school Illustration

fol. 118b Incipit with illuminated headpiece and titlepiece Incipit; headpiece; titlepiece This incipit page has an illuminated headpiece and titlepiece. Above is a two-tiered illumination inscribed Allāhu wa-lā siwāhu. Below, at the right, are two small rectagular pieces insscribed: Majnūn Laylá-i Amīr Khusraw.

fol. 120a Nawfal’s battle with Laylá’s tribe Illustration

fol. 138a Laylá and Majnūn meet in the desert Illustration

fol. 152a Sick woman in bed with her attendants Illustration

fol. 152b Incipit with illuminated headpiece and titlepiece Incipit; headpiece; titlepiece This incipit page has an illuminated titepiece inscribed: Haft paykar-i Shaykh-i Niẓāmī in white ink.

fol. 153a King enthroned in a landscape receiving gifts Illustration

fol. 159b Incipit with illuminated titlepiece Incipit; titlepiece This illuminated incipit page has a large titlepiece inscribed: huwa Allāhu subḥānahu. On the right side, below the titlepiece, three triangles are inscribed: Hasht bihisht-i Amīr Khusraw.

fol. 174a Bahrām Gūr in the black pavilion Illustration

fol. 180a Bahrām Gūr in the yellow pavilion Illustration

fol. 182b Bahrām Gūr in the green pavilion Illustration

fol. 185b Bahrām Gūr in the red pavilion Illustration

fol. 189b Bahrām Gūr in the blue pavilion Illustration

fol. 194b Bahrām Gūr in the sandalwood pavilion Illustration

fol. 199a Bahrām Gūr in the white pavilion Illustration

fol. 210b Bahrām Gūr watching justice being served to a man and a woman Illustration

fol. 211a Bahrām Gūr hunting deer with a lasso Illustration

fol. 211b Incipit with illuminated headpiece and titlepiece Incipit; headpiece; titlepiece This incipit page has several illuminated pieces. The titlepiece is inscribed: Iqbālnāmah-i Iskandarī.

fol. 214b Incipit with illuminated headpiece and titlepiece Incipit; headpiece; titlepiece This incipit page has several illuminated pieces. In the illuminated panels at the lower right is inscribed: Āyinah-i Iskandarī-i Amīr Khusraw.

fol. 227a Alexander the Great (Iskandar) fighting the Zanghis (Ethiopians) Illustration

fol. 280a Illustrated finispiece with landscape Illustration; finispiece

fol. 280b Incipit with illuminated headpiece and titlepiece Incipit; headpiece; titlepiece This incipit page has a number of illuminated pieces, including a titlepiece inscribed: Khirdnāmah-i Iskandari-i Niẓāmī.

fol. 282b Incipit with illuminated pieces Incipit; headpiece; titlepiece; tailpiece This illuminated incipit page has a headpiece in the form of a dome and two rectangular pieces below, one of which is a tailpiece for the end of Khamsah-i Amīr Khusraw; the other has the inscription: Timurnāmah-i Hātifī ʿalayhi al-raḥmah.

fol. 304b Alexander the Great (Iskandar) being handed a letter that describes a dangerous passage through the mountains Illustration

fol. 329b Illustrated finispiece Illustration; finispiece This is the right side of a double-page illustrated finispiece.

fol. 330a Illustrated finispiece Illustration; finispiece This is the left side of a double-page illustrated finispiece. A youthful prince in a landscape is depicted dictating a letter.

10th century AH / 16th CE; partial dates given on fol. 26a (last day of Ramaḍān) and fol. 214b (Shawwāl)

Note regarding re-binding and restoration of this volume by a bookbinder of Tabriz, Khwand Mullā Mahdī Ṣaḥḥāf-i Tabrīzī, signed and dated 1295 AH / 1878 CE (front flyleaf iia)

Seal impression with motto containing the name Munḏir (fol. 280b)

Walters Art Museum, 1931, by Henry Walters bequest

Persian

paper

image/jpeg

1501

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