Science and Poetry in Medieval Persia: The Botany of Nizami's KhamsaNizami Ganjavi is one of the foremost figures in Persian poetry, living in Azerbaijan in the second half of the twelfth century. One of the oldest Western poets in Persian literature, he is acclaimed for his five masnavis which are assembled to form the Khamsa (Quintet). His reputation is that of a difficult and refined poet, who introduced into his verse vocabulary, expressions and allusions to the then-known sciences. This study considers all his verses containing allusions to trees and their fruit. The scientific contents of these allusions are then checked with the help of Arabic and Persian medieval scientific treatises, ranging from the ninth to the seventeenth century. As a result, this study not only proposes a better understanding of nature imagery in the work of a seminal Persian poet, but provides a useful insight into the breadth and depth of the education of medieval poets and their readers. |
Common terms and phrases
آب آتش آزاد آمد ارغوان است انجیر انگور او ای این با باد بادام باشد باغ برگ بستان بسته بلند بود بوی به دست بهار بهاری بی بید پر پسته تا تذرو تر ترنج ترنجی تنگ تو جز جوان چمن چنان چنگ چنین چو سرو چون چین خار خاک خانه خدنگ خرما خشک خود خورد خون داد دارد درخت دل دو دور ده دید رخ رطب رنگ روان زرین زیر سایه سپید سخن سر سرخ سرو آزاد سرو بن سروش سروی سمن سهی سرو سیب سیمین شاخ شد شده شکر شمشاد شود شوشه شیرین صد صندل عناب عنبر عود قند کرد کرده کز کند که گر گشت گشته گفت گل گهی لاله لب لعل مشک مشک بید مغز می میان میوه نار نارنج نخل نه هر هم همه یک یکی case forest trees fruit trees masnavis mentions Nizami species term terms tree trees and fruit used willow