Nishapur and Kashan are two major centres for lovers of Persian poetry in Iran. While Nishapur, also popular for Firoza stone, was home to versatile genius Omar Khayyam, Khashan produced great elegy (Marsiya) poet Mohtasham Kashani, who has left an indelible mark on Persian literature, writes M Hasan
Mashhad, Qom (Iran): The historic town of Nishapur (Iran) was covered with thick layers of snow when “Karwane Noor” of Lucknow stopped near the tomb of Iran’s great genius Omar Khayyam on the outskirts of the town. The tomb is adjacent to “Mazar” of Ibrahim, who was from lineage of Imam Musa Kazim and was martyred in 200 AH. Similarly, near Qom the tomb of Mohtasham Kashani is Mecca for lovers of Persian poetry. He was great Marsiya (elegy) poet and was followed by generations of Persian poets.
While we could with considerable difficulty reach the “Mazar”, the tomb of Omar Khayyam was inaccessible and was closed for visitors because of snowfall. We could watch it from a distance. Shopkeepers selling Nishapuri stones “Firoza” said that the Khayyam’s tomb was major centre of tourists around the year.
Ghiyāth al-Dīn Abū al-Fatḥ ʿUmar ibn Ibrāhīm Nīshābūrī (18 May 1048 – 4 December 1131), commonly known as Omar Khayyam was a polymath, known for his contributions to mathematics, astronomy, philosophy, and poetry. He was born in Nishapur, which was initially the capital of Seljuk Empire. As a mathematician, he is most notable for his work on the classification and solution of cubic equations, where he provided a geometric formulation based on the intersection of cosnics. As an astronomer, he calculated the duration of the solar year with remarkable precision and accuracy, and designed the Jalali Calendar- a solar calendar, which provided the basis for the Persian calendar that is still in use after nearly a millennium.
Omar Khayyam was also a great Persian poet who wrote “Rubaiyat” – Quatrains. While he is a great name in Persian literature his poetry became widely known to the English-reading world in a translation by Edward FitzGerald (Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, 1859), which enjoyed great success in the Orientalism. Today Omar Khayyam is widely read poet in western countries.
Omar Khayyam’s poetry is from the historian Imad al-Din al-Isfahani, a younger contemporary of Khayyam, who explicitly identifies him as both a poet and a scientist (Kharidat al-qasr, 1174). One of the earliest specimens of Omar Khayyam’s Rubiyat is from Fakhr al-Din Razi. In his work al-Tanbih ‘ala ba‘d asrar al-maw‘dat fi’l-Qur’an (c. 1160), he quotes one of his poems (corresponding to quatrain LXII of FitzGerald’s first edition). Daya in his writings (Mirṣād al-‘Ibad, c. 1230) quotes two quatrains, one of which is the same as the one already reported by Razi. An additional quatrain is quoted by the historian Juvayni (Tarikh-i Jahangushay, c. 1226–1283). In 1340 Jajarmi includes thirteen quatrains of Khayyam in his work containing an anthology of the works of famous Persian poets (Mu’nis al-ahrār), two of which have hitherto been known from the older sources. A comparatively late manuscript is the Bodleian MS. Ouseley 140, written in Shiraz in 1460, which contains 158 quatrains on 47 folia. The manuscript belonged to William Ouseley (1767–1842) and was purchased by the Bodleian Library in 1844. There are occasional quotes of verses attributed to Khayyam in texts attributed to authors of the 13th and 14th centuries.
Mohtasham Kashani:
Alī Muḥtasham Kāshānī (b. 905/1499-1500 – d. 996/1587-8), known as Kamal al-Din, the son of Khwajih Mir Ahmad Kashani, was a poet at the time of Safavid dynasty (10th/16th century). He was a draper or weaver in Kashan. His most famous poem is known as , which is on the tragedy of Karbala. (see pics) Many poets have composed poems following this poem form afterwards. He was buried in Kashan. Kashan, an hour drive from Qom, is a beautiful city surrounded by hills. The place is also world known for “Rose water” (Gulab ka Pani). It is also famous for historical sites and several palaces.
Sayyid Kamal al-Din ‘Ali, the son of Mir Ahmad Kashani, whose pen name was Muhtasham, was a poet living at the beginning of Safavid times. He was contemporary with Shah Tahmasb Safavi. He was born about 905/1499-1500 in Kashan. He died in 996/1587-8 at the age of 91 in Kashan. After receiving basic education of that time, Muhtasham became a weaver. He has mentioned his career in many poems. His burial place in Kashan is known as “Muhtasham neighborhood”.
Due to chronic sore feet, Muhtasham did not travel much. However, It is recorded that he has traveled to Isfahan, shrine cities of Iraq, and Khurasan. His qasidas [a form of writing poem] during his travels are great.
He has written some poems praising Safavid kings and princes, especially Shah Tahmasb and his children. He has also written six quatrains on the occasion of ascending Shah Isma’il II to the throne. These poems are well-known and 1128 chronograms have been derived from them. Waqar Shirazi (d. 1298/1880-1) has written a book and explained these six quatrains. He lived at the time of development of Iranian poets’ relationship with the Indian subcontinent. Although he himself never went to India, his poems were sent to Indian sultans by his brother, ‘Abd al-Ghani. He has written some poems praising including Emperor Akbar Shah, ‘Abd al-Rahim Khan, and Khan Khanan.
Muhtasham is well-known for his poem about ‘Ashura which is in twelve strophes. In addition to poetry, Muhtasham was great at prose as well. Two books of Risala-yi Jalaliyya and Naql-i ‘ushshaq, which are compositions of prose and poetry, prove it. He was also great at writing “chronograms” and some examples can be found in his divan.
His divan includes qasidas, ghazals, marsiyas, madihas, qat’as, ruba’is, and mathnawis. The part of qasidas has been called Jami’ al-latayif and the part of ghazals has been called Naql-i ‘ushshaq. Taqi al-Din Kashani believes that three divans of Saba’iyya, Jalaliyya, and Shababiyya, which contain seven thousands verses altogether, Divan-i qasa’id-i a’imma (a) wa madh-i padishahan which contains eight thousands verses, and Risala-yi Mu’ammayat wa tawarikh are among the works of Muhtasham Kashani. Kulliyyat-i Muhtasham which includes seven divans of Saba’iyya, Shababiyya, Shaybiyya”, “Jalaliyya”, “Naql ‘ushaq”, “Daruriyyat”, and “Mu’ammayat” has been compiled by Mir Taqi al-Din Kashi. (Courtesy: Content from Internet).
(M Hasan is former Chief of Bureau Hindustan Times, Lucknow)
