Manuscript/Mixed Material New Year's (Noruz) poem
About this Item
Title
- New Year's (Noruz) poem
Names
- Agha'i
Created / Published
- 17th-18th centuries
Headings
- - Calligraphy, Arabic
- - Calligraphy, Persian
- - Manuscripts, Persian--Washington (D.C.)
- - Iran
- - India
- - Arabic script calligraphy
- - Illuminated Islamic manuscripts
- - Islamic calligraphy
- - Islamic manuscripts
- - Nasta'liq
Notes
- - New Year's (Nowruz) quatrain, or ruba'I in Persian, by the calligrapher Agha'I written in black Nasta'liq script from Iran or India.
- - Dimensions of Written Surface: 9 (w) x 15.8 (h) cm
- - For you, Pride of Government and Religion / May happiness be your aide and may fortune be beside you. / Congratulations to you on the festival of New Year's / May you always sit side by side [with happiness and fortune].
- - The quatrain is written in black nasta'liq script on a piece of paper framed in blue and pasted to a brown paper strengthened with cardboard. The poem reads as follows:
- - This calligraphic panel includes an iambic pentameter quatrain, or ruba'i, signed by the calligrapher Agha'i. He has signed his work: "written by the poor Agha'i," or "katabahu al-faqir Agha'I". Unfortunately, nothing is known about this calligrapher, and the approximate date of the piece (17th-18th centuries) must remain conjectural.
- - This poem wishes a ruler everlasting happiness and good fortune on the occasion of New Year's. This New Year, or noruz, is most likely the Spring equinox (March 21st) marking the beginning of the solar calendar as celebrated in Iran and parts of India. It appears that this calligraphic panel was executed on such an occasion to celebrate the New Year and to wish a patron prosperity for the years to come. This practice of offering good wishes in written form during New Year's celebrations is attested to in a number of other calligraphic specimens in the Library of Congress (see 1-04-713.19.3, 1-04-713.19.49, and 1-84-154.51).
- - Tura ay iftikhar-i dawlat u din / Sa'adat yarvar u dawlat qarin bad / Mubarak bar tu bada 'id-i noruz / Mudamat yar-i 'ishrat hamnashin bad
- - Script: nasta'liq
- - 1-04-713.19.48
Medium
- 1 volume ; 19.9 (w) x 31.7 (h) cm
Repository
- Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
Digital Id
Library of Congress Control Number
- 2019714553
Online Format
- image