Fables and Tales
[Preliminary Entry] Probably the first translation of Śukasaptatī into Persian, realized by ‘Imād ibn Muḥammad Ṯaġarī, a secretary at the court of ‘Alā al-Dīn Ḫaljī (r. 1290-1316). His book is a translation and compilation of eighty-six tales retold by a merchant’s parrot addressed to merchant’s housewife within fifty two nights. Yet the ending folios concerning the 40th to 52nd nights are missing in the only manuscript preserved in the Majlis Library of Tehran.
Apart from the frame-story, Ṯaġarī has been selective with regards to tales; he has eliminated some and replaced them with other stories and fables from other Sanskrit sources such as Pañcatantra, Kathāsaritsāgara and Vetālapañcaviṃśatika. Jawāhir al-Asmār could probably be considered as the earlier translation of Śukasaptatī to what Ẓiyā’ al-Dīn Naḫšabī (d. around 751/1350-51) had access for composing his Ṭūṭī-nāma.
P. S.
Tehran, Kitābḫāna-yi Majlis, 10/5328
.Edition: Ṭūṭī-nāma Jawāhir al-asmār, al-Ṯaġarī, ‘Imād ibn Muḥammad, ed., Tehran, Firdaws, 1385/2006.
| Main Persian Title: | Jawāhir al-asmār |
| English Translation of Main Persian Title: | Jewels of Tales |
| Translator: | ‘Imād ibn Muḥammad Ṯaġarī |
| Original Sources: |
Śukasaptatī.
|
| Approximate period of composition: | 1290-1316 |
| Quoted sources on India: |
Pañcatantra
Kathāsaritsāgara
Vetālapañcaviṃśatika
|