Untitled
Untitled
Untitled
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
NOTE XXV. 'UMAR-I-KHAYYAM i 135<br />
i<br />
9<br />
Persian and Arabic Sources of Information arranged chronologically.<br />
\. The Chahar Maqala.<br />
This present work, the author of which was perspnally acquainted<br />
with<br />
'Umar^<br />
and wrote some or^ly thirty yejirs after his death, contains<br />
the oldest account of him yt Discovered.<br />
*<br />
1 ><br />
2. The Kharidatu'1-Qasr.<br />
VThis book, composed by<br />
(Addition to Persian notes, p. v\ )<br />
'Imadu'd-Din al-Katib al-Isfahani in<br />
572/1176-7, contains a notice of 'Umar i-Khayyam amongst the poets<br />
of Khurasan. Two MSS. of this work exist in the Leyden library (see<br />
Dozy's Catalogue, vol.'ii, pp. 208-288), viz. Warner 348, f. 185, and<br />
Gol. 2ib, f. 238.<br />
3. khaqani.<br />
*<br />
A single reference to him occurs in a verse of the Persian poet<br />
Khaqani, who. died about A.H. 595 (A.D. 1198-9).<br />
4. The Mirsadu'l-'Ibad.<br />
The Mirsddu I-''Ibdd of Shaykh Najmu'd-Dfn Daya, composed in<br />
A.H. 620 (A.D. 1223-4), contains a passage in which 'Umar is denounced<br />
as an atheist, and two of his quatrains are cited with disapproval. The<br />
text of this important passage is quoted by Mirza Muhammad (Persian<br />
notes, p. 211) from Zhukovski's article. I have collated this with a fine<br />
old MS. of the Mirsdd transcribed in A.H. ,768 (A.D. 1367), which<br />
presents the following variants, generally improvements.<br />
211, i, inserts j& after j*^sut>; reads 'j^lj^ for Ij^U-jj 3;<br />
inserts ^JU after Oj^o; and reads ^)l. for .Ja\.. 211, 5, inserts<br />
3 before *A*JJ-O- : 1. 6 after jkyj substitutes for ^jlj<br />
the following words :<br />
><br />
at the end of the lihe<br />
211', 8, for C-Jjjco* reads ^ v_5^jjt*. 21 1, 9, substitutes A.J ji for<br />
before^' and inserts, ij^^ after oJ"j)Lo ; and after C^AS adds U<br />
i^crJ j^fc. ,JU,o. 211, 10, inserts jj^ at beginning of line. 211, 12,<br />
omits [Lojl j]. 211, n, ^jaO. Of the passage thus emended the<br />
translation is as follows:<br />
"And it will become apparent for what reason this pure, celestial<br />
and luminous spirit was* drawn into the form of this lowly earthen<br />
mould, and also it why must part therefrom, why the spirit must sever<br />
,its connectio'n with this mould, why the form must perish, and what is<br />
the reason for the restoration of this mould at the Resurrection and the<br />
reinve&titure of the spirit therewith. Then will he the [i.e. enquirer]<br />
come forth from the company of 'these are like cattle, nay, they are yet<br />
1<br />
more wrisgutded ,' attain to the rank of [true] humanity, escape from the<br />
1<br />
Qur'dn, xxv, 46.<br />
><br />
>'<br />
I<br />
i<br />
> k