مجله متن شناسی ادب فارسی
سال پنجم شماره 3 (پیاپی 19، پاییز 1392)

Nezami Ganjavi is one of the famous figures of Persian poetry whose poetry has been considered to need commentary and interpretation for a long time. One of the reasons of complexity in his poems is the precise usage of astronomical terms and imagery capacities of zodiac and heavenly bodies. This article discusses one of the verses in the preface of Makhzan al-Asrar and the Prophet’s Ascension. In our view، commentators of Makhzan al-Asrar have not understood the delicacy of this verse due to considering it as a simple verse or lack of attention to Nezami’s imagery، and have sometimes proposed a meaning which is incongruent with his exact information about the zodiac. Considering the shape of Virgo and Leo and their location beside each other in the heaven، he has elaborated a prevailing theme in Persian poetry which has been pointed out repeatedly in old and new astrological books، his other verses and poems of great poets like Khaqani. After discussing the view of Makhzan al-Asrar’s commentators about this verse and explaining astronomical terms involved in its imagery، the suggested meaning for this verse is proposed.

In previous researches، exploration of the theme of Ayyari and teachings of Javanmardi and branches of this socio-political rite has focused mostly on prose and sometimes poetic mystical texts due to elitist view of researchers، and centrality and special status of the Holy Quran and religious texts. Perhaps، elucidating and representing the close relation of Ayyari and Javanmardi to epic texts and showing didactic teachings of this moral society can be a new and impressive effort to reveal its primary and Iranian origin and also correct some existing incorrect considerations. By this background in mind، the present paper aims to introduce in two sections the theoretical foundations of research in four axes including: prose epic narratives، didactic literature، its nature and branches، historical background and ups and downs of Ayyari and Javanmardi. Then، by comparative and typological approach in two prose epics Samak-e Ayyar and Darabnameh، didactic-suggestive teachings of Ayyaran and Javanmardan are analyzed and described. Having an almost comprehensive view on previous studies in this field، the present article reveals some points not considered before.

Having tales with modern features، the greatest epic work of Persian literature opens the way for testing، contrasting and comparing modern literary theories. One of the best methods for analyzing and morphological classification of Shahnameh’s stories and mythological and epic tales can be found in Vladimir Propp method. Using his method، this research focuses on the action of characters and analyzes “Siavash tale”. The main hypothesis of this research is to compare that tale with Propp’s theory. In this article، it is shown that such narrative is in complete harmony with functions proposed by Propp، notwithstanding some little displacements in the actions of characters. Actions have been divided among the five main characters and “calamity”، “deceit” and “hero” actions are inseparable and repeated elements of the tale. The process of the tale is moving from calmness to the climax of disaster via three moves and these moves، in spite of their different theme and form، have a single structure.

How and to what extent the narrative structure of Nasserkhosrow travelogue can participate in reflecting the thoughts and creating a literary-narrative framework? Why is the structure of Nasserkhosrow travelogue similar to a story plot? And based on Zheplint Volt’s theory، what is the narrative type of Nasserkhosrow travelogue? A unique feature of Nasserkhosrow travelogue، unlike other travelogues، is that it begins with a fictional event and has narrative-literary language، pleasant tales، carefulness and description. Although the overall structure of travelogue is different from stories and novels، this travelogue is more similar to stories than travelogues and reports due to unique narrative and structural reasons. Many structural features of story such as initial state، destructive force، middle state and final phase، have given a different structure to this travelogue. In addition to these unique narrative types، this work can easily attract the addressees. This research tries to analyze the plot structure and narrative type in Nasserkhosrow travelogue based on modern narrative approach of Zheplint Volt. Accordingly، our results show that he has used similar narrative pattern (narrator=character) and two internal and zero points of view to express his travel experiences.

Amir Khosrow Dehlavi، the famous poet of India، is one of the most prolific poets of Persian language who has influenced deeply the poetry of Persian poets after himself in Iran and Indus lands. Though most of his fame refers to his Mathnavies، there are a number of good and elaborated sonnets belonging to him which show his high status in Persian poetry. The Divan of his sonnets has been published several times in Iran and India. Among these is Tehran’s published version with the introduction of Saeed Nafisi and corrected by M. Darvish which has been used by Iqbal Salah al-Din as one of the main criteria in his later correction of Amir Khosrow’s Divan. Since this latter correction is not found in Iran، Muhammad Roshan has published the very work of Iqbal Salah al-Din with some minor changes and eliminating variant copies. This correction، which today is referenced as a source in most researches and articles، has mistakes، Tashifs and minor and major problems. This article aims to show some fundamental problems and Tahrifs and Tashifs in the published Divan of Amir Khosrow on the basis of three authentic manuscripts of his Divan and also point to some of his newly-found poems and verses.

Considering their thought and ability، poets select some words، which have both useful meaning and high capacity of suggestion and imagery، for conveying their messages. This article discusses one of the frequent، effective، symbolic and imagist words، i. e. “cage”. The main question is how and with which linguistic and rhetoric meanings this word has been used in Persian texts. Exploring the Divans of poets from third century onwards –of course the selected poets- it is found out that such word، which itself entered Persian from Arabic، represents various linguistic and rhetorical meanings keeping pace with movements of Persian poetry and proportionate with different subject in the history of poetry. Proportionate with subjects and their temperaments، poets have ascribed different literal as well as figurative and metaphorical meanings like world، body، country، society and other meanings to this word. In classical and mystical poetry، this word has been mostly used in the sense of “body and world” whereas in contemporary poetry it has been used mainly in the sense of “prison and society”. In general، cage suggests the image of a prison for the soul of human being.

Discovery of some manuscripts، anthologies and collections in the libraries around the world proves the necessity of gathering and recorrecting the Divans of many poets. Emadi Shahriari or Qaznavi is one of the poets whose poems show his high status in poetry and his talent in composing poems. But، unfortunately، his poems، like many other great Persian poets، are not available completely and this point can be proved by several reasons. Among such reasons is the existence of some poems under his name in some anthologies and collections which do not exist in his own Divan and they should be considered seriously in the critical correction of his Divan. Moreover، many verses of this poet have been corrected wrongly in his present day available Divan and there are also a number of poems and verses ascribed to him and other poets simultaneously which have not been pointed out unfortunately. Thus، recorrection of his Divan، as a part of Persian literature treasure، seems to be necessary. In this article، some newly-found poems of Emadi، which have been gathered by exploring many anthologies، collections and other sources، are proposed and، of course، more explorations in other sources may lead to more discoveries of his poems.