Poetry and Elegant Prose [IO Islamic 1155]

Poetry and Elegant Prose.

This manuscript is now IO Islamic 1155 in the India Office collections.

[metadata: Otto Loth, A Catalogue of the Arabic Manuscripts in the Library of the India Office, (volume 1), no. 813 here with further notations and hyperlinks].

813.

1155. Size 10 in. by 53/4 in.; foll. 135. Twenty-five lines in a page.

كتاب كمامة الزهر و صدفة الدرر فى شرح القصيدة البسّامة ( sic ) الملقّبة بطوق الحمامة و شارحها الفقيه الكاتب الاريب الاديب ابى ( ابو . r ) مروان عبدالملك ابن عبدالله بن بدرون الحضرمى السلبى ( sic ) شكر الله سعيه الخ.

‘Abd al-malik b. ‘Abdallah IBN BADRÛN’S Historical Commentary on the Ḳaṣîdah of ‘Abd al-majîd b. ‘Abdallah Ibn ‘Abdûn (d. A.H. 529). Cf. Professor Dozy’s edition (Leyden, 1846).

Well written, by Hâdi b. Sa’îd b. ‘Abdallah الصياى الصعدى (sic). Dated Monday, 24th Rabî’ I., 996.

Although this MS. is revised throughout , it appears to be not more accurate than other copies of this work.1 Moreover, in the passages referring to ‘Alî, Ḥusain, etc., there are many interpolations, which are apparently due to a Shî’ite copyist. The exordium is also different from the common one. It begins as follows: الحمد لله الملك القديم المعبود ‘ الصمد القدير المقصود.

The beginning is ornamented, and the other pages are within coloured lines. On the title-page is a round ornament in gold, with an inscription, which latter is, however, nearly effaced.

1 Cf. Dozy’s edition, Introduction, pp. 9-23.