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Makhzan ol-Asrar or Makhzan al-Asrar ( fa, مخزنالاسرار, The Treasury of Mysteries) is the title of a famous
Mathnawi
Mathnawi ( ar, مثنوي ''mathnawī'') or masnavi ( fa, مثنوی) is a kind of poem written in rhyming couplets, or more specifically "a poem based on independent, internally rhyming lines". Most mathnawī poems follow a meter of eleven, or oc ...
by the
Persian
Persian may refer to:
* People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language
** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples
** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
poet
Nizami Ganjavi
Nizami Ganjavi ( fa, نظامی گنجوی, lit=Niẓāmī of Ganja, translit=Niẓāmī Ganjavī; c. 1141–1209), Nizami Ganje'i, Nizami, or Nezāmi, whose formal name was ''Jamal ad-Dīn Abū Muḥammad Ilyās ibn-Yūsuf ibn-Zakkī'',Mo'in, ...
(1141–1209). Makhzan ol-Asrar is the first poem collection in the main and best known work of Nizami Ganjavi called
Khamsa of Nizami
The ''Khamsa'' ( fa, خمسه, 'Quintet' or 'Quinary', from Arabic) or ''Panj Ganj'' ( fa, پنج گنج, 'Five Treasures') is the main and best known work of Nizami Ganjavi.
Description
The ''Khamsa'' is in five long narrative poems:
* '' Ma ...
and one of the prominent examples of didactic literature. This Mathnawi has about 2,250
Persian
Persian may refer to:
* People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language
** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples
** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
distichs and it was completed at the age of forty of Nizami Ganjavi and since then it has always been considered one of the most important poetic and written works in
Persian literature
Persian literature ( fa, ادبیات فارسی, Adabiyâte fârsi, ) comprises oral compositions and written texts in the Persian language and is one of the world's oldest literatures. It spans over two-and-a-half millennia. Its sources h ...
.
[JTP de Bruijn. Persian Sufi Poetry, An Introduction to the Mystical – Taylor and Francis (Routledge) 1997 pp. 97–98][
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It starts with this distich:
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Plot
The main theme of the book ''"Makhzan ol-Asrar"'' is to invite people to self-knowledge, theology and choosing good habits and behavior. Nizami Ganjavi has started the first verse of this work with the name and remembrance of God, and in the continuation, he has pointed to one of the main principles of
mysticism
Mysticism is popularly known as becoming one with God or the Absolute, but may refer to any kind of ecstasy or altered state of consciousness which is given a religious or spiritual meaning. It may also refer to the attainment of insight in u ...
and
Sufism
Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, r ...
, namely the unity of God's existence and his obligatory existence. ''"Makhzan ol-Asrar"'' is full of mystical points and advice that are presented to the audience in the form of lyrical stories and literature; These concepts are sometimes difficult for the reader, and the verses often have complexity.
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The concept of the ''"Makhzan ol-Asrar"'' can be categorized as follows, first about human neglect in the world, then about the discredit and instability of the world, then about man's relationship with God, fourth about social issues, and finally about politics and government.
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Nizami says that when I wanted to sing ''"Makhzan ol-Asrar"'', archangel told me ''"you want to write poetry for people, so you should know what you want to sing. Therefore, refine yourself with your heart and follow your heart so that you can build yourself"''. Then Nizami says that I followed archangel's words and followed ''"the heart preceptor"''. From then on, he talks about the nights when he meditated with his heart. Those verses are very complex and beautiful at the same time. They may be considered the first
surrealist
Surrealism is a cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists depicted unnerving, illogical scenes and developed techniques to allow the unconscious mind to express itself. Its aim was, according to l ...
texts in world literature. Because it speaks to issues that are similar to surrealist texts. He even goes so far as to say that ''"I went into my heart and saw his houses"''.
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An excerpt
''"Makhzan ol-Asrar"'' has 60 sections, the following poem is from section 15 titled ''"In describing the night and knowing the heart"'':[
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Date of composition
Since the book itself does not directly or indirectly mention the date of composition and also in other authoritative works the exact date of creation of this work is not mentioned, its date can not be determined with certainty; However, considering that Nezami gives other very accurate histories of the works, the age of the child and the material of other histories in his other works, as well as by examining the history of Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...
and Arran, and comparative studies, it can be said that this work was created between 1165 and 1173 (probably close to 1173).[
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Dedication
Nizami Ganjavi, dedicated the book to ''"Fakhr al-Din Bahramshah"'', the governor of Erzincan
Erzincan (; ku, Erzîngan), historically Yerznka ( hy, Երզնկա), is the capital of Erzincan Province in Eastern Turkey. Nearby cities include Erzurum, Sivas, Tunceli, Bingöl, Elazığ, Malatya, Gümüşhane, Bayburt, and Giresun. The city is ...
at the time.[
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Translation
The book ''"Makhzan ol-Asrar"'' has been translated into English,[ ]Deutsch
Deutsch or Deutsche may refer to:
*''Deutsch'' or ''(das) Deutsche'': the German language, in Germany and other places
*''Deutsche'': Germans, as a weak masculine, feminine or plural demonym
*Deutsch (word), originally referring to the Germanic ve ...
,[
] Turkish
Turkish may refer to:
*a Turkic language spoken by the Turks
* of or about Turkey
** Turkish language
*** Turkish alphabet
** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation
*** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey
*** Turkish communities and mi ...
[
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] and Kurdish
Kurdish may refer to:
*Kurds or Kurdish people
*Kurdish languages
*Kurdish alphabets
*Kurdistan, the land of the Kurdish people which includes:
**Southern Kurdistan
**Eastern Kurdistan
**Northern Kurdistan
**Western Kurdistan
See also
* Kurd (dis ...
[
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See also
* Khosrow and Shirin
Khosrow and Shirin ( fa, خسرو و شیرین) is the title of a famous tragic romance by the Persian poet Nizami Ganjavi (1141–1209), who also wrote Layla and Majnun. It tells a highly elaborated fictional version of the story of the love ...
* Layla and Majnun
''Layla & Majnun'' ( ar, مجنون ليلى ; Layla's Mad Lover) is an old story of Arab origin, about the 7th-century Bedouin poet Qays ibn al-Mulawwah and his ladylove Layla bint Mahdi (later known as Layla al-Aamiriya).
"The Layla ...
* Haft Peykar
''Haft Peykar'' ( fa, هفت پیکر ''Haft Peykar'') also known as Bahramnameh (, ''The Book of Bahram'', referring to the Sasanian king Bahram Gur) is a romantic epic by Persian poet Nizami Ganjavi written in 1197. This poem forms one part of ...
* Al-Nijat
''Al-Nijat min al-Qarq fi Bahr al-Zalalaat'' ( ar, النجاة من الغرق في بحر الضلالات, ) known as ''Al-Nijat'' is one of the most famous philosophical works of the Iranian sage, Avicenna (980-1037). The general theme of th ...
References
External links
Makhzan ol-Asrar full text in Persian
Nezami Ganjavi (The Great 12th Century Persian Poet)
The New York Public Library "Makhzan al-asrār" and Its Importance
Semiology of Nizami’ s States of Seclusion in Makhzan al-Asrar
Nezami Ganjavi's approach to Parable of animals in Makhzan ol-'asrar: From a didactic point of view
Makhzan al-Asrar Book by Nizami Ganjavi - ShopiPersia
Makhzan al-Asrar manuscript
Makhzan al-Asrar and Khamsah (quintet) of Niẓāmī Ganjavī manuscript
{{DEFAULTSORT:Makhzan ol-Asrar
Poetry books
Nizami Ganjavi
Medieval Persian literature
Persian poetry
12th-century books
Persian poems
Historical poems