Abstract
The poet Nur-al-Din ʿAbd-al-Raḥmān Jāmi (1414-92) is known to have been proficient in music theory; he also wrote a Resāla-ye musiqi (Treatise on Music Theory). In his poems he displayed an extensive and precise use of musical terms. To probe further into the elements of musical imagery, I scanned through his maṯnavis Haft awrang (The Seven Thrones) in search of lines dedicated to musical modes, instruments, and performers. Considering that musical imagery had a long-established tradition before his time, I pursued a comparative investigation and commented on some lines by way of examples. Finally, I argue that literary conventions shaped Jāmi’s poetry more than his expertise in music theory did.
Highlights
It is generally acknowledged that some pre-modern Persian poets made a wider use of musical imagery than others, only a limited number of studies have hitherto considered the importance of music in the works of single poets and a comprehensive picture of musical imagery from a comparative point of view has not yet been outlined
In the introduction to Resāla-ye musiqi, Jāmi states that the study of music theory was part of his early education
More elements should be taken into account to gain a full evaluation of musical imagery in the poetry by Jāmi, I wish to express four final remarks
Summary
Music is commonly perceived as one of the main sources of imagery in poetry. We may recall many Persian lines where events, persons, or things appear to be in some way related to music. As well as a poet, Jāmi was a polymath well versed in the study of most disciplines of his time He authored numerous prose works covering a wide range of topics. In this context it is worth mentioning his Resāla-ye musiqi (Treatise on Music Theory) (Jāmi 2000, 171220). The book deals with music theory according to the principles of the traditional discipline calledelm-e musiqi (science of music) It covers both the modal (talif) and the rhythmic (iqā) systems of Persian music. In the introduction to Resāla-ye musiqi, Jāmi states that the study of music theory was part of his early education He had, neglected the topic for many years until he received a request to write a treatise on it (Jāmi 2000, 182). In this respect, the practice of other Sufi orders who advocated the use of music and motion for contemplative purposes, such as the Mevlevi order (Mawlawiya) established by Rumi
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