Investigating the Specific Numerical Dependencies in Khaqani Shervani's Poetry

In the Persian language, there exist established conventions for representing numbers that exhibit limited variability. Numbers are a collection of terms employed for quantifying various entities. The utilization of numbers, their combinations, and associated concepts holds a prominent role across a wide spectrum of disciplines, including philosophy, logic, mathematics, and literature. In certain instances, specific numbers may even acquire a revered and valuable significance in the eyes of diverse cultures. The significance of numbers extends to the extent that certain religious traditions have harnessed them to further their objectives and communicate their ethical and societal perspectives. Despite this, in the realm of rhetorical works, particularly within the domain of stylistics, there is relatively scant attention given to this abstract form. Consequently, this research endeavor aims to introduce and scrutinize the framework of this abstract representation. In this study, a descriptive-analytical approach was employed to introduce and analyze the composition of the figurative imagery found in the poems of Khaqani. Additionally, an effort was made to quantify the occurrences of associated elements and numerical values. This research aimed to address two primary inquiries: firstly, to determine which structure occurs most frequently in the amalgamation of specific numerical elements, and secondly, to identify the predominant numerical values used in Khaqani's poetry. In accordance with the syntactic framework elucidated by Shafi'i Kadkani in his work "The Poet of Mirrors," the structural organization and composition within Khaqani's poetry can be delineated as follows: 1. The concatenation of numerical values with material dependents followed by numerical values; 2. The juxtaposition of numerical values with material dependents and subsequently with abstract numerical values; 3. The amalgamation of numerical values with abstract dependents succeeded by numerical values; 4. The fusion of numerical values with abstract dependents followed by abstract numerical values. In order to acquaint the readership with this intricate syntactic structure and the amalgamation of distinct numerical elements within Khaqani's poetic compositions, the author has conducted a comprehensive examination of these specialized numerical dependencies and their corresponding values within these four structural patterns. The utilization of various numerical values in the creation of unique numerical combinations is a distinctive stylistic trait of Khaqani. Consequently, this approach often deviates from conventional norms in many of his poems. Through the employment of this artistic technique, Khaqani has ingeniously crafted novel compositions, enhancing the beauty of his words. Within Khaqani's poetic works, specific numerical values and their dependencies are diverse, encompassing figures such as one, two, three, four, seven, one-two, one hundred, one thousand, one hundred thousand, as well as various fractional quantities. Among these specific numerical combinations, the most frequently occurring pattern comprises the sequence "number + material-dependent + material numbers," while the least frequent is the combination of "number + abstract-dependent + material numbers." Structurally, figures such as "one," "three," "four," "one-two," and "half" signify scarcity, while "hundred," "thousand," and "hundred thousand" denote abundance. A more detailed examination of Khaqani's compositions, as found in his Diwan, reveals variations such as those involving the prefix "a few," stanzas featuring two dependencies, and compound combinations, albeit these are exceedingly rare.