This volume contains an Ottoman Turkish version in verse of the story of Camasb, son of the Prophet Daniyal. It was translated and adapted, most likely from a Persian prose original, by Musa Abdi, a poet of the ninth century AH/fifteenth century CE. Little is known of the author, save for his given name (Musa) and his mahlas (Abdi). He completed his translation for Murad II (ruled 824-855 AH/1421-1451 CE) in 833 AH (1429-30 CE) in the town of Aydıncık (modern-day Edincik). The Camasbname, which is part of the mythical history of Iran, describes the time that the young Camasb spends as the captive of Şahmaran, the King of the Snakes, who tells him a series of extraordinary, interlinking stories which make up much of the work. Eventually Camasb becomes vizier to the Keyanid king Keyhüsrev, and retrieves part of the lost wisdom and knowledge of his father. A mesnevi consisting of 5122 beyitler makes up the overwhelming majority of Abdi's version of the Camasbname. The work also features fourteen gazeliyat in various metres and making up eighty-eight beyitler in total, a tevhid in the mesnevi style, a naat, two methiyeler devoted to Sultan Murad II and Grand Vizier Hoca Mehmed Paşa respectively, and an elegy in the form of a gazel. Abdi wrote the work in a plain and fluent style; folk sayings and idioms are common, while Arabic and Persian words are rare. The text carries several lexical and grammatical features of Old Anatolian Turkish (see Erkan, 'Câmasbnâme' & Bozkaplan, 'Cāmasb-nâme'). Begins:. (Besmele) Her kim ol kendözini bilmiş olạ * Cümle eşya 'ilmini bilmiş ola / Sözleri 'ilme'l-yakin ola 'ayan * manide keşf ide esrarı beyan. Ends:. Okuyanı dinleyeni yazanı * Rahmetinle yarlıgagıl ya Gani. This work may have been copied by the Alâeddin whose name appears below Tammet on f 170r. There is no date, however the copy is likely from the late 13th to early 14th century AH/late 19th to early 20th century CE.
[Camasbname] - [جاماسبنامه]
This material is held atBritish Library Asia, Pacific and Africa Collections
- Reference
- GB 59 Or 16394
- Dates of Creation
- Late 19th century-Early 20th century
- Language of Material
- Turkish
- Physical Description
- 1 text 170 ff Material: Off-white paper of European origin. Foliation: European, 170 ff; Original pagination, omitting final page, 335 pp. Dimensions: 304 x 222 mm; text area 196 x 131 mm. Pricking and Ruling: 15 lines; some passages underlined in pencil; dark red headings; text frames and column dividers in grey. Script: Rather poor vocalized cursive rık'a. Binding: Thick boards comprising multiple layers of paper, covered with worn patterned textile in taupe and red, with flap.