Shelfmark: Ann Arbor, University of Michigan, Special Collections Research Center Isl. Ms. 596Origin: As appears in colophon on fol.166b, copied by Muḥammad ibn Muḥammad ibn ‘Alī ibn ‘Umar Ibn al-Saqqā for himself. Transcription finished ("wa-najiza taʻlīquh...") Sunday, 27 Rabīʻ II 983 [ca. 5 August 1575].Accompanying materials: a. Inventory cataloguing slip in hand of Winifred Smeaton Thomas.Former shelfmark: From spine label and inscription on upper doublure, "IL 40" (likely supplied by Yahuda).Binding: Pasteboard covered in marbled paper and dark-brown leather at edges, lower cover missing and replaced with heavy brown laid paper (like shipping paper) ; Type II (with flap) though flap now missing (see pattern of wear on fol.1a); upper doublure covered in cream European laid paper with a few lines of poetry scribbled on, as well as former shelfmark ; on the "lower cover" (brown paper) is a rectangular stamp containg a large "R" over the word "BOMBAY," possibly vestigial, as well "Kairo aegypten," "Le Caire Egypte," and "[orie]ntalische Buchhandlung und antiquaria [?]" written in a large, rough cursive hand ; in poor condition.Support: non-European laid paper with laid lines running horizontally and spaced roughly 9 laid lines per cm., chain lines in two groups of three, spaced roughly 12-13 mm. apart with roughly 36 mm. between the groups ; the replaced bifolia of the 5th and 13th quires appear to be on European laid paper.Decoration: Textual dividers in the form of inverted commas, three dots, etc. in red ; text rubricated using orangeish red, lime green, and light purple inks in a purposeful and somewhat systematic manner, occasionally in combination (e.g., a word in purple ink pointed in red dots)- to mark the beginning of each year (purple), to mark death notices or other important events (green), for markers such as "فيها" or "قلت" (red) ; none of these usages is very consistent however, and all three colors can appear serving any of these functions.Script: Naskh ; likely Syrian (or Egyptian?) hand ; round with very curvilinear descenders, though not too terribly swooping ; descenders occasionally reach back up to the centerline to connect with the succeeding word; alifs and vertical strokes have a slight leftward slant ; alifs are unserrifed though they have a very slight s-shaped curve to them ; replaced folia supplied in a different hand ; on fol.1a, title in a large red thuluth and beneath it a downward-pointing triangle of text with the author's name and titles in naskh.Layout: Written in 25 lines per page ; occasional poetry with textual dividers lying between and on either side of each bayt ; frame-ruled.Collation: i, V-1 (9), 15 V (159), V-3 (166), i ; chiefly quinions ; outermost bifolia of the 5th and 13th quires have been replaced ; 4th quire and most of the final quire are entirely loose ; quire numbering in the form of full words appears in the upper right corner of the recto of the first leaf of each quire after the first ; catchwords present ; foliation for every 10th folio and the final one (fol. 166) in Western numerals ; pagination in pencil, Western numerals (supplied during cataloguing).Colophon: "Scribal," triangular, reads: "وانتهى التاريخ بموته سامحه الله تعالى ونجز تعليقه نهار الاحد السابع والعشرين من ربيع الثاني سنة ثلث وثمانين وتسعماية...علقه لنفسه الفقير المعترف بالعجز والتقصير الواثق بربه القدير حقا محمد بن محمد بن علي بن عمر بن السقا غفر الله له ولوالديه ولمن طالع هذا الكتاب ولمؤلفه ولجميع المسلمين والحمد لله رب العالمين وصلى الله على سيدنا محمد واله وصحبه اجمعين وحسبنا الله ونعم الوكيل. ابتدى به في نهار الاحد وفرغ منه كذلك"Explicit: اموالنا شهاب الدين اني حمدت الله اذبك تم مجدي جميع الناس عندكم نزول وانت جبرتني ونزلت عندي. وفي سابع عشرين ذي الحجة سنة تسع واربعين وسبعماية توفي مؤلف هذا الكتاب عمر بن مظفر بن محمد بن الوردي بمدينة حلب المحروسة ودفن ما لاصقا لاخيه القاضي جمال الدين بمقابر الصالحين خارج باب المقام بحلب [..؟]الله تعالى برحمته ورضوانهIncipit: ثم دخلت سنة احدى وخمس ماية فيها في رجب قتل سيف الدولة صدقة بن المنصور بن دبيس بن فريد الاسدى امير العرب في مقابلته [مقاتلته] السلطان محمد [كذا ; للسلطان محمد] وحمل راسه الى محمد وعمر صدقة تسع وخمسون وامارته احدى وعشرون سنة وقتل من اصحابه فوق ثلاثة الاف وكان متشيعاً وهو الذي بني الحلة بالعراقTitle from 'titlepage' inscription on fol.1a.Ms. codex.Part two of Ibn al-Wardī 's abridgement of the chronicle of Abū al-Fidāʼ with a continuation from 729 to 749 / 1329-49. Text is followed by a death notice for Ibn al-Wardī himself. Description provided by Noah Gardiner.
Shelfmark: Ann Arbor, University of Michigan, Special Collections Research Center, Isl. Ms. 446Origin: Lacks dated colophon ; perhaps late 15th or early 16th century as suggested by paper and hand.Binding: Pasteboards covered in dark red leather ; Type II binding (with flap) ; doublures and interior of flap in dark green leather ; hinges in blue paper cut with scalloped design ; upper and lower covers bear large stamped and gold-painted scalloped mandorla with pendants (compare Déroche class. OAi 10) as well as gilt roll border consisting of a series of s-shaped stamps ; design continues on envelope flap ; upper and lower doublures carry tooled and gold-painted outline of scalloped mandorla and gold-painted rule border ; sewn in black thread, four stations ; endbands lacking ; in fair condition with much abrasion, staining, and lefiting of leather at edges and on spine ; some delamination of boards.Support: mainly Arab laid paper of perhaps two types, each with roughly 8 laid lines per cm. (horizontal, fairly indistinct with some curving) and chain lines (vertical) grouped in threes, in one type spaced roughly 12-14 mm. apart with 30 mm. between groups (see p.4, etc.) and in another type spaced roughly 12 mm. apart with 38-40 mm. between the groups (see p.36, etc.), inclusions visible, sturdy, medium cream in color, burnished ; leaf carrying pp.23-24 delaminating at upper outer corner ; back flyleaf in heavy laid European paper with chain lines oriented horizontally spaced roughly 30 mm. and laid lines oriented vertically, quite distinct and spaced roughly 8-9 laid lines per mm. ; front flyleaf in smooth, thin European laid paper with chain lines oriented horizontally spaced roughly 25 mm. apart, laid lines very fine and faint, difficult to measure, watermark partially visible (lion rampant in shield).Decoration: Textual dividers in the form of gold rosettes appear in preface and throughout the text of the poem and its translation, often appearing between the saṭr and ʻajuz for each bayt ; written area of preface (pp.2-3) bordered in frame consisting of gold band outlined by black fillets ; partially rubricated with final words of the ʻajuz for each bayt occasionally in red.Script: Very fine calligraphy ; saṭr and first words of ʻajuz for each bayt in thuluth, final words of ʻajuz in tawqīʻ ; text of preface and elucidation in fine Ottoman naskh with right-sloping head serifs on lām of definite article and other ascenders apart from free-standing alif, gentle slant to the left ; preface, text of poem and elucidation fully vocalized.Layout: Written in 10-14 lines per page, 5 lines of the poem and 5-9 of the amplification, with the saṭr and first few words of the ʻajuz of each bayt filling the column width horizontally and the remainder of the ʻajuz appended diagonally, the elucidation in Turkish appearing on the following line or occasionally the following two lines centered below the saṭr and first few words of the ʻajuz ; frame-ruled (impression of ruling board cearly evident).Collation: i, III(6), VI(18), i ; catchwords present, but only partially visible or completely cut off ; pagination in pencil, Western numerals, supplied during cataloguing.Explicit: "ما رنحت عذبات البان ريح صبا واطرب ...العيس حادي العيس بالنغم وصلى الله على خير خلقه محمد واله الطيبين الطاهرين وسلم تسليما"Incipit: "قال الشيخ الامام العالم حجة الادب لسان العرب قدوة الانام بقية السلف الكرام شرف الدين ابو عبد الله محمد بن سعيد البوصيري رحمه الله سبب انشاء هذه القصيدة المباركة اني كنت قد اصابني خلط فالج ابطل نصفي ... وبه ثقتي وعليه التكلان من الخدلان امن تذكر جيران بذي سلم مزجت دمعا جرى من مقلة بدم اكد كمى ذى سلمدگى اهل وجيرتى كم قان ياش اغلمق كوزكك اولدى عادتى"Title supplied by cataloguer.Ms. codex.Fine copy of al-Būṣīrī's poem in praise of the Prophet accompanied by elucidation in Turkish ; opens with preface (see pp.2-3).
Shelfmark: Ann Arbor, University of Michigan, Special Collections Research Center Isl. Ms. 230Origin: As appears in colophon on p.38, executed by es-Seyyid Abdullah, known as el-İmam, pupil of Hafız Osman Efendi, with transcription finished in 1109 [1697 or 8].Former shelfmark: "332 T. De M. [i.e. Tammaro De Marinis]" inscribed in pencil on 'title page' (p.1) ; "118" also inscribed in pencil on 'title page' (p.1).Binding: Pasteboards covered in olive-tan leather ; Type II binding (with flap) ; pastedowns and flyleaves in purple coated and embossed paper with central gold-painted floral accents and border ; upper and lower covers carry stamped, gold-painted scalloped mandorla (filled with symmetrical vegetal composition over red onlays) and pendants as well as gold guilloché roll border ; design continues on flap ; sewn in yellow thread, four stations ; overall in fair condition with some abrasion, lifting and losses of leather (at foreedge especially), staining, etc.Support: non-European laid paper with 8-9 laid lines per cm. (vertical or horizontal, contrasting direction for written area and surrounding frame into which it has been set / mounted) and occasional chain lines visible, cloudy formation, crisp and transluscent, well-sized and burnished to glossy ; final leaf in wove paper.Decoration: Elegant illuminated headpiece (ʻunwān / sarlawḥ) appears at opening on p.2 consisting of a rectangular panel with empty gold cartouche and flanking floral pieces in pink, white, red and orange on fields of gold and blue, surrounded by heavy frame or well in bands of gold and black interlace, white crosses on a red ground, and white crosses on a blue ground, and surmounted by vertical stalks (tīgh) in blue ; written area surrounded by frame in heavy gold band outlined by black fillets with a narrow gold band outlining the panels formed by the layout of alternating line filling the column width and three centered lines.Script: Exquisite specimen of Ottoman calligraphy ; opening and every fourth line (saṭr or ʻajuz of a particular bayt) in a fine thuluth ; following three lines (ʻajuz or saṭr of continued or following bayt) in naskh ; fully vocalized.Layout: Written in 9 lines per page with the opening line (the basmalah) and every fourth line thereafter (saṭr or ʻajuz of a particular bayt) filling the column width and the three following lines (ʻajuz or saṭr of continuing or following bayt) centered below.Collation: i, IV+I (10), IV+2 (20), i ; two anomalous quaternions ; pagination in black ink, Hindu-Arabic numerals, appearing in the lower-inner left corner of the written area beginning with the incipit page ; pagination in pencil, Western numerals, supplied during digitization.Colophon: "Scribal," reads: "كتبه الفقير السيد عبد الله المعروف بالامام من تلاميذ عثمان افندي غفر الله ذنوبهما آمين سنة ۱۱۰۹"Explicit: "ما رنحت عذبات البان ريح صبا واطرب العيس حادي العيس بالنغم اللهم صل وسلم على اشرف الخلق واكمل الخلق محمد واله والطاهرين اجمعين وسلم تسليما كثيرا كثيرا الى يوم الحشر والقرار ما دام الدهور والايام"Incipit: "بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم آمن تذكر جيران بذي سلم مزجت دمعا جرى من مقلة بدم ..."Title supplied by cataloguer.Ms. codex.Exquisite copy of al-Būṣīrī's poem in praise of the Prophet executed by the renowned Ottoman calligrapher, Seyyid Abdullah of Yedikule (Yedikuleli Seyyid Abdullah Efendi, d.1731), favorite pupil of the celebrated calligrapher Hafız Osman Efendi (d.1698).
Shelfmark: Ann Arbor, University of Michigan, Special Collections Research Center Isl. Ms. 228Origin: As appears in colophon, executed by Muḥammad ibn ʻAlī [ibn Aḥmad] al-Ziftāwī in the first tenth of Muḥarram 783 [March-April 1381].Binding: Pasteboards covered in a light brown leather ; Western style binding ; pastedowns and flyleaves in heavy untinted wove paper ; upper and lower covers carry decoration evoking the Islamic style with central oval ornament (wreath stamped in green) and cornerpieces (scrolling vegetal motifs stamped in green) as well as stamped border of repeating floral / shell pattern in red ; sewn in white thread over three heavy white cords (flexible sewing) ; no endbands ; paper label on spine ; in fairly good condition though sewing exposed between a few separated gatherings.Support: non-European (Arab) laid paper with chain lines grouped in threes running horizontally, spaced roughly 12-15 mm. apart with roughly 42 mm. between the groups ; laid lines running vertically spaced roughly 9 laid lines per cm. ; heavy and well-burnished with undissolved fibers and inclusions visible ; staining ; numerous reinforcements and repairs throughout, mainly guards but also fills (see first folio carrying the titlepiece and opening).Decoration: Exquisite, richly illuminated titlepiece ; ansa in the form of roundel with rosette attached to upper panel, which is surmounted by fine arabesque and vertical stalks in blue, lavender, gold, green, etc. ; upper panel contains cartouche carrying title in foliated Kufic lettered in gold on a field of blue with green swirling vegetal pattern ; lower panel contains large scalloped medallion (shamsah) carrying statement of authorship and ex libris lettered in gold with lined cloud-bands and vegetal accents, surrounded by a field of blue with floral vegetal design in gold, lavender, and green ; decorative strapwork border in gold surrounds entire piece ; illuminated headpiece consisting of a rectangular panel with roundel/rosette ansa ; within the panel, the basmalah is executed in gold accented with cloud-bands and cross-hatch pattern ; illuminated tailpiece consists of a rectangular panel with roundel/rosette ansa ; within the panel two roundels with rosettes flank the date of transcription accented with cloud-bands and cross-hatch pattern ; a red rule-border outlines the text itself, with illuminated rosettes flanking the lines of the amplification (takhmīs) ; on the opening and facing page, rosettes in blue and gold along with roundel in gold bearing word "تخميس" [?] ; text partially chrysographed with final words of each line in gold.Script: Very fine Mamlūk calligraphy ; saṭr and first words of ʻajuz for each bayt in thuluth (verging on tawqīʻ), final words of ʻajuz in tawqīʻ and amplification in serifless naskh ; text and takhmīs fully vocalized ; title of titlepiece in foliated Kufic ; ex libris of titlepiece in tawqīʻ ; text of tailpiece in riqāʻ verging on tawqīʻ.Layout: Written in 12 lines per page, 3 lines of the poem and 9 of the amplification, with the saṭr and first few words of the ʻajuz of each bayt filling the column width horizontally and the remainder of the ʻajuz appended slanting down diagonally, and three lines of amplification centered below the saṭr and first few words of the ʻajuz ; frame-ruled.Collation: i, III (6), II (4), 4 I(18), I+1 (21), 2 I(25), I+1 (28), i ; difficult to discern original gatherings, but appears to consist mainly in single bifolia (singulions) ; no catchwords present ; pagination in pencil, Western numerals, supplied during cataloguing.Colophon: "Scribal," reads: "تمت مع التخميس بحمد الله وعونه وصلى الله على نبيه محمد كتبها محمد بن علي الشهير بالزفتاوي عفا الله عنه بكرمه في العشر الاول من شهر الله المحرم افتتاح عام ثلاث وثمانين وسبعمائة حسبنا الله ونعم الوكيل"Explicit: "ما رنحت عذبات البان ريح صبا واطرب العيس حادي العيس بالنغم"Incipit: "بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم الحمد لله رب العالمين ما بال قلبك لا ينفك ذا ألم ... امن تذكر جيران بذي سلم مزجت دمعا جرى من مقلة بدم ..."Title from titlepiece.Ms. codex.An elegant copy of al-Būṣīrī's poem in praise of the Prophet with its amplification (takhmīs) by Nāṣir al-Dīn Muḥammad al-Fayyūmī (mid-14th century), as well as a fine specimen of Mamlūk calligraphy as executed by al-Ziftāwī (d.806/1403 or 4).
Shelfmark: Ann Arbor, University of Michigan, Special Collections Research Center Isl. Ms. 248Origin: As appears in colophon on p.69, copied by Ḥamzah ibn ʻAbd al-Wahhāb in 828 [1424 or 1425], likely in Egypt. As appears in patronage statements/ex libris on p.6 and in titlepiece on p.13, copied for Karīm al-Dīn, perhaps al-Wazīr al-Ṣāḥib Karīm al-Dīn ʻAbd al-Karīm ibn Kātib al-Manākh (d.852/1448) (see Ibn Taghrībirdī, Ḥawādith al-duhūr, sanat ithnatayn wa-khamsīn wa-thamānimiʼah, shahr Rabīʻ al-Ākhir).Former shelfmark: "۱۱۹" on paper label on upper cover (repeated in pencil on titlepage for al-Asmāʼ al-ḥusná, p.7).Binding: Pasteboards covered in dark red-brown leather with spine and edges/turn-ins in dark brown leather of similar color ; Type III binding (without flap) ; flyleaves and pastedowns in yellow-tinted European laid paper ; upper and lower covers bear stamped and gold-painted scalloped mandorla with vegetal composition (compare Déroche class. NSd 7) ; sewn in red thread, four stations ; overall in fair condition with staining, abrasion, some lifting of leather at edges, etc.Support: non-European laid paper (likely Egyptian) with 7-8 laid lines per cm. (horizontal) and chain lines grouped in threes (vertical) with 9-11 mm. between the chains and 37-42 mm. between the groups ; alternating tinting of the bifolia ; flyleaves in a yellow tinted European laid paper with 8-9 laid lines per cm. (vertical), chain lines spaced 28 mm. apart (horizontal) and moon in shield with face in profile and 'B G' watermark as well as in an untinted European laid paper with 9 laid lines per cm. (horizontal), chain lines spaced 26-27 mm. apart (vertical), and watermarks of spread eagle and coat of arms with lion rampant in shield with crown above ; numerous repairs.Decoration: Rectangular panel at opening (p.6) carries poetic patronage statement (خدمت بها من قد سما بفعاله واقواله ما بين قارئ وكاتب كريم يعادي الباخلين وانه بمصر عزيز صاحب وابن صاحب) accented by cloud bands and swirling arabesque ; on p.7, illuminated titlepiece for al-Asmāʼ al-ḥusná in the form of a rectangular panel with accompanying ansa (in this case, roundel) carries title in white (الاسما الحسنى نفع الله بها) with gold outline set among gold vegetal design on a field of blue ; entire piece is framed by a heavy gold band and blue rule ; on p.12, at close of al-Asmāʼ al-ḥusná a fine illuminated tailpiece in gold and blue in the form of an almond-shaped panel flanked by illuminated rosettes carries inscription in white (تمت الاسما) ; on p.13, exquisite illuminated titlepiece for al-Burdah consisting of a large rectangular panel divided to smaller rectangular panels carrying the title and ex libris (الكواكب الدرية في مدح خير البرية صلى الله عليه وسلم برسم خزانة المقر الاشرف العالي المخدومي الصاحبي الكريمي كريم الدين عظم الله شأنه) in white set in lozenge-shaped cartouches with flanking roundels filled with vegetal design in gold on fields of blue ; ansa in the form of a roundel accompanies uppermost panel ; textual dividers in the form of illuminated rosettes with blue and red accents appear throughout ; keywords occasionally chrysographed ; for each of bayt of al-Burdah, saṭr in black and ʻajuz rubricated ; written area of incipit and facing page of al-Burdah surrounded by frame consisting of gold band and heavy blue rule ; tailpiece in the form of a rectangular panel carrying the colophon follows al-Burdah on p.69 and closely resembles opening rectangular panel (p.6).Script: Text of al-Asmāʼ al-ḥusná in fine Mamlūk naskh, tailpiece in script resembling 'Eastern Kufic' ('broken cursive' or New Abbasid Style, NS) ; titlepiece for al-Burdah in thuluth, saṭr of each bayt in muḥaqqaq, ʻajuz in fine Mamlūk naskh ; fully vocalized ; glosses (takhmīs, mainly in Turkish, ending abruptly at p.28) in naskh-nastʻalīq, varying hands.Layout: Written in 6 lines per page ; frame-ruled.Collation: ii, II (4), III (10), VII (24), III+3 (33), ii ; foliation in black ink, Hindu-Arabic numerals begins with incipit page (p.14) ; pagination in pencil, Western numerals, supplied during digitization (includes flyleaves).Colophon: "Scribal," rectangular, reads: "تمت البردة الشريفة بحمد الله تعالى وعونه على يد الفقير الى الله تعالى حمزة بن عبد الوهاب غفر الله له ولوالديه وللمسلمين اجمعين وذلك في عام ۸۲۸".Title supplied by cataloguer.Ms. codex.Fine copy of Qaṣīdat al-Burdah by al-Būṣīrī (d.1294–7?) with later takhmīs mainly in Ottoman Turkish. Preceded by al-Asmāʼ al-ḥusná (with numerical values for each name) and following by notes and excerpts.
Complete copy of the Qurʼān, written in at least three hands with varying page layout; also includes six replacement pages on rougher paper (f. 55-57, 59-61).
Fols. 21; 22.7 x 15.7 cm.; written surface 16.5 x 10.5 cm.; 9 lines to page; on glazed Arabic paper; in thuluth and naskhi; with full vowel signs; headings in red.Part XVIII of the Koran; containing Sūrahs XXIII, XXIV and XXV: 1-22.Top, middle and bottom lines are in thuluth and the others in naskhi. MS in good condition; mended; Arabic leather binding with flap; blind stamped and tooling on cover and flap. Probably from the sixteenth century.Acquired from Brill, Leyden, A.D. 1900.
Shelfmark: Ann Arbor, University of Michigan, Special Collections Research Center Isl. Ms. 470Origin: Lacks dated colophon ; paper and hand may suggest 16th century.Accompanying materials: a. Inventory cataloguing slip in hand of Winifred Smeaton Thomas. (pp.1-2)-- b. Acquisitions slip from Yahuda. (pp.3-4).Former shelfmark: From inner front cover and spine label, "IL 169" (likely supplied by Yahuda, see acquisitions slip).Binding: Pasteboards covered in marbled paper (in shades of pink and blue) with red leather over spine, fore edge flap and fore edge of upper board ; Type II binding (with flap) ; board linings in European laid paper ; sewn in grey thread, two stations ; overall in good condition with only minor abrasion, lifting and losses of leather.Support: non-European (likely Arab) laid paper with roughly 8-9 laid lines per cm. (vertical) and chain lines grouped in threes (horizontal) with roughly 8-11 mm. between chains and 36-39 mm. between groups ; well-burnished and quite smooth ; firm and fairly crisp.Decoration: Section headings, keywords, and abbreviations (abbreviation symbols) rubricated ; textual dividers in the form of red discs.Script: Naskh ; fine Turkish hand ; mainly sans serif though left sloping head-serif appears occasionally on alif of lām-alif ligature ; effect of tilt to the left ; many open counters ; pointing in distinct dots, with two dots occasionally oriented vertically ; fully vocalized ; section headings in larger curvilinear script approaching thuluth.Layout: Written in 11 lines per page ; frame-ruled.Collation: 6 V (60) ; exclusively quinions ; catchwords inconsistently present ; quire signatures (numbering) in the form of full words in the top left corner of the recto of the first leaf of each quite ; pagination in pencil, Western numerals, supplied during digitization (includes inserts).Explicit: "واخر دعوانا بتوفيق ربنا ان الحمد لله الذي وحده علا وبعد صلاة الله ثم سلامه على سيد الخلق الرضي متنخلا محمد المختار للمجد كعبة صلوة تباري الريح مسكا ومندلا وتبدي على اصحابه نفحاتها بغير ثناه زرنبا وقرنفلا كملت بحمد الله وعونه وحسن تأييده وصلى الله على سيدنا محمد و اله وسلم تسليما"Incipit: "قال الشيخ الاجل الامام المقرئ ابو القاسم بن فيره بن خلف بن احمد الرعيني ثم الشاطبي رضي الله وارضاه بدأت ببسم الله في النظم اولا تبارك رحمانا رحيما وموئلا وثنيت صلى الله ربي على الرضى محمد المهدى الى الناس مرسلا"Title from inscriptions on interior of upper cover and 'title page' (p.7).Ms. codex.Fine copy of al-Shāṭibī's versification (ṭawīl, in 1173 verses) of al-Dānī's compendium of the seven readings, al-Taysīr, intended as a didactic poem which eases the task of memorization via a clever mnemonic device in the form of carefully introduced sigla. A table with these sigla and abbreviation symbols appears on the recto of the opening leaf of the codex (p.5). Table of contents on 'title page' (p.7) would indicate that this work was once part of a collection of texts from which it has been since separated. Description provided by Maxim Romanov.
Abstract: A collection of literary, scholarly, historical and poetic texts, with the beginning part of the dīwān of ʻAlī ibn Muḥammad al-ʻAnsī.Contents.سفينة أدبية تحتوي في أولها على ديوان العنسيIncludes numerous fragments and poems, among them excerpts from the Sharaf asrār al-ṭibb lil-ʻayān by Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad ibn ʻAlī al-Ḥamawī, a history of the Ayyubid dynasty in Yemen, a letter by Abū Bakr al-Khwārizmī to the people of Ṭabaristān, selections of poetry by Ṣafī al-Dīn ʻAbd al-ʻAzīz ibn Sarāyā Ḥillī, and an excerpt on astronomy.عبارة عن مجلد بني اللون تمت حباكته من أعلى المخطوط وهو مكتوب بالمداد الأسود والأحمرالجمعة 18/ذي الحجة/سنة 1218هـIncipit: واحد بعد واحِد . ومما اتَّفَق للشيخ العلامه عبدالرحمن بن محَمد الذهبى تمام دخوله صنعا المحميَّه أنه طلب من القاضى العلامه البَليغ ذو اللطايف التى لعبت بالعقول...على بن محمد العنسى رحمهما الله ان يرسل اليه بدِيوان شعره فأرسله اليه وكتب بهذين البيتين ضمَّن فيهما قول امرء القيس اَيَا مَن لَهُ النظم الذى نُسِيَت به قفا نبك من ذكرى حبيبِ ومَنْزِلِ...Explicit: تذيع دموعى سر وجدي كانها لنص احاديث الغرام شروح ولولاك ما هب النسيم معطراً ولا راح نشر المسك منك يفوح. لقطة رقم (148).Naskh, Persian naskh and thuluth scripts, written in black and red ink.12-37 lines.1-منقول من كتاب شرف أسرار الطب للعيان تأليف محمد بن أحمد بن علي الحموي. لقطة رقم (149-151). 2-فوائد متفرقة منها: تاريخ مختصر في ذكر أيام بني أيوب ودولتهم في اليمن .من كلام الشيخ أبو بكر الخوارزمي رسالة كتبها إلى أهل طبرستان. مختارات من أشعار الصفي الحلي.نقول في علم الفلك. أشعار متفرقة لعدد من الشعراء. من اللقطة رقم (152-208).
An introduction to the principles of alchemy spuriously ascribed to Democritus. This Democritus is not the atomist philosopher of Abdera, but the Greek alchemical authority of the same name, sometimes equated with Bolos of Mendes. The text’s style and content suggest that it is not, in fact, a Greek, pre-Islamic text translated into Arabic. The lower half of fol. 57b and the whole of 58a are taken up by tabulated descriptions of the four elements, and the remaining text is divided into three sections (
maqālāt):Section 1 (ff. 57v line 1 - 59r, line 10) describes a progression of the 4 elements from the grossest (earth) to the most refined (fire) and this progression with that of the 4 seasons;Section 2 (fols. 59a, line 10 - 64a, line 7) deals with the unity of matter; the formation of the microcosm out of opposing forces; the relationship between chemical substances and the four elements and other subjects;Section 3 (ff. 64r, line 7 - 66r, end) is divided into seven parts (
abwāb), each one describing a chemical procedure.The text was copied in the middle of Rajab 925 AH (mid-July AD 1519) at Damascus by Qudrat Allāh al-Marandī al-Ādharī (see colophon, f. 66r).Begins (f. 57v, lines 2-5):قال الحكيم ذومقراطيس إنّه ينبغي لمن طلب هذه الحكمة أنْ يعرف الأركان التي وُضِعَتْعليها والأجناس والطبائع والألوان والائتلاف والبعث والثبات والقراباتوالملائمة والمخالفة والتعادي والطعوم والتمازيج والهئات والدفاع وتزويج الأركانوتركيب الأجناس ثم يضع يده بعد ذلك الصناعةَ المكرّمةَ ...Ends (f. 66r, lines 15-19):... هذه المنازل السبعة قد أفصحت بها جهدي وبالله الذيإليه معاد كلّ شيء ما كتمتُ أهلَ العلم من أصل هذا الحجر شيئًا ولا من منازل تدبيرهوما أرجو أنْ يكون قد وضح لأهل العلم والرأي ومَن أراد الله إفهامه وعميتذلك على أهل الجهل والنقص والدين (sic) وأنا أوصي مَن طلب هذا العلمأنْ لا يستخف بهذا الكتابColophon (f. 66r, lines 19-22):... تم الكتاب بحمد الله تعالىوحسن توفيقه على يدي العبد قدرة الله المرندي الأذريفي أوساط شهر رجب سنة ٩٢٥بدمشق المحروسةوصلواته على نبيه سيدنا محمدوآله وصحبه أجمينff. 57v-66rMaterial: PaperDimensions: 215 x 150 mm leaf [168 x 112 mm written]Foliation: British Museum foliation in pencil; Arabic foliation in the purple crayon typical of Lebanese bookdealers of the 19th centuryRuling:
Misṭarah; 19 lines per page; vertical spacing 11 lines per 10 cm (ff. 113r-158v: 29 lines per page; vertical spacing 17 lines per 10 cm)Script:
Naskhwith
nasta‘līqtendencies and some titles in
thuluth(ff. 113r-158v:
naskh)Scribes: Qudrat Allāh al-Marandī al-Ādharī (ff. 3r-112v) and Muḥammad ibn Sulaymān al-Mawṣilī (ff. 113r-158v)Ink: Black ink, with rubricated, yellow and green headings and overlinings in red (ff. 113r-158v: black)Binding: British Museum bindingCondition: Some worm damage, foxing, and tears towards the fore edge. Folios 19, 21 and 24 have been replaced.Marginalia: Extensive marginal corrections, conjectures, glosses in Arabic and Persian and other evidence of collation and textual study (ff. 113r-158v: very few)
Lines 1-9 give instructions for producing false ambergris (عنبر); lines 9-15 give instructions for a distillation process for oil of cloves and roses; and lines 16-17 give brief instructions for the washing of
ṭaḥīnah.Begins (f. 159v, lines 1-4):خذ من الشب ٣٠ درهم ومن البارود ٣٠ درهم وقطرهمبالقرعة والأنبيق وبعده خذ من اللادن ٣٠ درهموقطعه قطع صغار وبعد اطرحه في ذلك الماء القاطر علىالنار اللينة ...Ends (f. 159v, lines 14-18):... وكذلك الرملة مناع الورد لاكن الوردبزبادة النكرار وتقم الماء الورد على ٣ أقسام أو ٥ أقسام أو سبعة أقسام انتهىصفة غسل الطحينة خذ دهنه بالماء وبعد عليه حتى تذهبرائحة افعل به ما شئت انتهى لو كانت الكتب تنيكم بحالاتي كتبت من دموعأياتيf. 159vMaterial: PaperDimensions: 215 x 150 mm leaf [168 x 112 mm written]Foliation: British Museum foliation in pencil; Arabic foliation in the purple crayon typical of Lebanese bookdealers of the 19th centuryRuling:
Misṭarah; 19 lines per page; vertical spacing 11 lines per 10 cm (ff. 113r-158v: 29 lines per page; vertical spacing 17 lines per 10 cm)Script:
Naskhwith
nasta‘līqtendencies and some titles in
thuluth(ff. 113r-158v:
naskh)Scribes: Qudrat Allāh al-Marandī al-Ādharī (ff. 3r-112v) and Muḥammad ibn Sulaymān al-Mawṣilī (ff. 113r-158v)Ink: Black ink, with rubricated, yellow and green headings and overlinings in red (ff. 113r-158v: black)Binding: British Museum bindingCondition: Some worm damage, foxing, and tears towards the fore edge. Folios 19, 21 and 24 have been replaced.Marginalia: Extensive marginal corrections, conjectures, glosses in Arabic and Persian and other evidence of collation and textual study (ff. 113r-158v: very few)
Five passages in Persian supposedly taken from the writings of Jābir ibn Ḥayyān. The main bulk of the corpus of texts attributed to this semi-legendary figure, however, are thought to have been composed between the second half of the 9th century and first half 10th century. Since this text begins with the
Testament of Ṭughrāʾī(d. 515/1121), it cannot be true that these passages were all extraced from writings attributed to Jābir ibn Ḥayyān.Begins (f. 66v, lines 2-5):فصل وصية مؤيد الدين أبو اسمعيل الطغرائی از تدابير جابرميگويد اي پسر من چون از درويشی بترسيد بران كوه شويد كه بربالای شماستوتوانگري ميروياند بگيريد آنرا وبا اصل خودش يريد كه پیس از ان رسته استوبالا گرفته جزوهاى لطيف كه ثفلش واین نشيند وآبى زندگانی بزرگ قدروبهاEnds (f. 67v, lines 11-15):... ونفس وروحوجسد وزحل وجسدش ومشتری وارزپر سياه بس چون باز سبيد شدنامهاى ديگر تهند (؟) آتش حكيمان وزيبق مصعّد وقمر مكلّس ونحاس وآنكه تاريكىاز دبشده باشد گويند كه شرمۀ سفيد ومغنيسياى سفيد ومرد اسنگ سبيدوقمر وزیل القمر وزیل الشمس خوانندff. 66v-67vMaterial: PaperDimensions: 215 x 150 mm leaf [168 x 112 mm written]Foliation: British Museum foliation in pencil; Arabic foliation in the purple crayon typical of Lebanese bookdealers of the 19th centuryRuling:
Misṭarah; 19 lines per page; vertical spacing 11 lines per 10 cm (ff. 113r-158v: 29 lines per page; vertical spacing 17 lines per 10 cm)Script:
Naskhwith
nasta‘līqtendencies and some titles and in
thuluth(ff. 113r-158v:
naskh)Scribes: Qudrat Allāh al-Marandī al-Ādharī (ff. 3r-112v) and Muḥammad ibn Sulaymān al-Mawṣilī (ff. 113r-158v)Ink: Black ink, with rubricated, yellow and green headings and overlinings in red (ff. 113r-158v: black)Binding: British Museum bindingCondition: Some worm damage, foxing, and tears towards the fore edge. Folios 19, 21 and 24 have been replaced.Marginalia: Extensive marginal corrections, conjectures, glosses in Arabic and Persian and other evidence of collation and textual study (ff. 113r-158v: very few)