Master Microform held by: DLC Inscriptions on front and back covers: [tughra] el-Müstenid bi-tevfikât ir-Rabbâniye, Melik üd-Devlet-il-aliyet-il-Osmaniye, es-Sultan ibn us-Sultan is-Sultan el-Gazi Abdülhamid / Han-i Sâni Hazretlerinin taraf-i eşref-i mülukânelerinden / Vaşingtonda Meclis-i Mebusân azasından Mösyö / Hewit hazretlerinin marifetile Muctema-yi Amerika Kütüphane-yi Milliye ihda buyurulmuştur 1302-1884 = Gift made by H.I. M. the Sultan / Abdul-Hamid II. / to the national library of the / United States of America / through the Honorable / A.S. Hewitt / member / of the House of Representatives / in Washington / A.H.1302-1884 A.D. = Don fait par S.M.I le Sultan / Abdul-Hamid II / à la Bibliothèque nationale / des États-Unis d'Amérique / par l'entremise de l'honorable / Mr. A.S. Hewitt / membre / de la Chambre des Représentants / a Washington / A.H. 1302-1884 A.D. Özege, M.S. Eski harflerle, 54 Also available in digital form on the Library of Congress Web site. Microfilm. Washington, D.C., United States Library of Congress, [19--]. 1 reel, 34 mm. Record based on source data supplied by New York University. Original pagination: 54 pages ;18 cm
On music of India and Iran. Risālah dar ʻilm-i mūsīqī (Epistle on the science of music) is a short treatise on the music of India and Persia published in 1906. In his introduction, the author, Muhammad ʻUsman Qays, cites earlier sources, such as Tuḥfat al-Hind (The gift of India) by Mirza Khan (flourished in the 17th century), on this topic. After discussing such basic concepts as lahn (pitch) and iqa' (rhythm), the author proceeds to trace the historical proliferation of the maqamat (modes) of Persian music. The discussion here is notable, among other things, for the way it highlights the affinities and differences within the currently canonized modal system known as dastgah. The second half of the work presents a short but dense examination of the ragas of Indian music. The six primary ragas of classical Indian music are presented, as are their associated ragini (wives) and putras (sons). The correspondences between the Indian and Persian modal systems are also listed. A poem by Badr-i Chach (died 1346) lists the appropriate times for the performance of each of the Persian modes, recalling the Indian system and the particular time or season associated with each raga. This lithographic book is the second edition of Qays's work. It was published at the famed Newal Kishore Press in Lucknow, India, under the direction of Prag Narayan, the son and successor of the founder of the press, Munshi Newal Kishore (1836-95). World Digital Library.
On Persian didactic literature. Shabistān-i nukāt va gulistān-i lughāt (Sanctum of allusions and rose garden of words) is a well-known work by the poet Muhammad Yahya ibn Sibak Fattahi of Nishapur (died 1448 or 1449). In the architecture of Iran, the word shabistan denotes a columned hall, generally an inner sanctuary of a mosque (the word has also been rendered into English somewhat incongruously as "bedchamber"). Its use in the title of this work is perhaps related to the idea of the mystery and esotericism associated with the many epigrams, metaphors, and witticisms collected therein, while the word gulistan (rose garden) is an allusion to the variety and beauty of the same. Fattahi expresses the date of completion of his work in an anagram at the conclusion: "zība shabistānī" (a lovely shabistan). This expression computes to 843 AH (1439-40 AD). The edition presented here lists 853 AH (1449-50) as the year of completion. Characterized by the constant play on words and heavy reliance on allegory, Fattahi's popular work served as a standard of poetic competence in Iran for some time after its publication. The work, of which numerous copies survive, was the subject of several commentaries and has seen at least one modern edition. The title page of a second work that is appended to the end of the book has been removed, thus making its identification uncertain. This short work appears to contain three sections, with the first two containing aphorisms related to youth and old age, followed by a collection of more generic maxims. A poorly rendered Russian name in Persian on the title page of the volume suggests that the printing of this book was at the A. Ga. Yakovlev press. It was published in 1912-13 in Tashkent. World Digital Library.
