Manuscript/Mixed Material Id (feast day) Quatrain
About this Item
Title
- Id (feast day) Quatrain
Names
- Muhammad Qamar al-Din
Created / Published
- 16th-17th centuries
Headings
- - Calligraphy, Arabic
- - Calligraphy, Persian
- - Manuscripts, Persian--Washington (D.C.)
- - Iran
- - Arabic script calligraphy
- - Illuminated Islamic manuscripts
- - Islamic calligraphy
- - Islamic manuscripts
- - Nasta'liq
Notes
- - Id (feast day) Quatrain in celebration of 'id al-qurban or 'id al-adha (the feast of sacrifice), Persian poem written in Nasta'liq script by the calligrapher Muhammad Qamar al-Din from 19th Cent. Qajar era Iran.
- - Dimensions of Written Surface: 8.3 (w) 16.2 (h) cm
- - In as much as 'id is the month of blessings / And makes pilgrims (go) to 'Arafat / Like sacrificial sheep, / May all your enemies be in the "Direction of Pilgrims"
- - Other poems written for rulers during the celebrations of pilgrimage or to usher in the New Year are held in the Collections of the Library of Congress. See 1-04-713.19.3, 1-04-713.19.48, 1-04-713.19.49, and 1-84-154.51).
- - Ta dahad-i 'id maya-yi barakat / hajiyan-ra surur dar 'arafat / Bad chun gusfand-i qurbani / Jumla-yi a'ada-yi qibla-yi hajat
- - The poem's imagery revolves around the activities linked to the celebrations of 'id al-qurban or 'id al-adha (the feast of sacrifice), which marks the end of the pilgrimage rites on the tenth day of the Islamic month of Dhu al-Hijja. Drawing on the symbolism of the direction of prayer (qibla), the poet describes a ruler as the "Direction of Pilgrims" and wishes him the defeat of his enemies. These lines were probably written on 'id al-qurban in order to eulogize a patron, as they draw on the metaphorical potential of religious activities taking place at that time.
- - The text is framed by cloud bands executed in black ink and highlighted with gold paint, around which a blue frame with interlacing gold vine motifs has been pasted somewhat sloppily. The poem reads:
- - This calligraphic fragment provides an iambic pentameter quatrain, or ruba'i, written in nasta'liq script by the calligrapher Muhammad Qamar al-Din. In the top right corner, he has stated that the piece was either written by himself or copied for himself ("li-raqamihi"). He also has signed the quatrain in the lower left corner with the expression "katabahu (written by) Muhammad Qamar al-Din." Nothing is known about this calligrapher, although the steady nasta'liq script suggests that it was executed in Persia (Iran) sometime during the 16th or 17th century.
- - Script: nasta'liq
- - 1-04-713.19.53
Medium
- 1 volume ; 24.2 (w) x 35 (h) cm
Repository
- Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
Digital Id
Library of Congress Control Number
- 2019714558
Online Format
- image