[Kitāb al-inʿām bi-maʿrifat al-anghām كتاب الإنعام بمعرفة الأنغام] Ṣaydāwī, Shams al-Dīn صيداوي، شمس الدين [‎12r] (34/110)

Content

A musical treatise in verse accompanied by diagrams, tables, and lyrical poems, by Shams al-Dīn Muḥammad al-Ṣaydāwī al-Dhahabī al-Dimashqī (شمس الدين محمد الصيداوي الذهبي الدمشقي, d. 1506). It was copied by ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz ibn ʿUmar ibn Muḥammad ibn Nāṣir al-Dīn al-Kurdī al-Shāfiʿī (عبد العزيز ابن عمر ابن محمد ابن ناصرالدين الكردي الشافعي) on 13 Ramaḍān 906/2 April 1501 (see colophon Section at the end of a manuscript text. , below, f. 9r, lines 10-11).

The present copy refers to the text as the Treatise by al-Ṣaydāwī (رسالة نشأها الصيداوي); the text is known by various titles including Kitāb al-anʿām bi-maʿrifat al-anghām (كتاب الإنعام بمعرفة الأنغام), Kitāb fī maʿrifat al-anghām wa-sharḥuhā (كتاب في معرفة الأنغام وشرحها), Kitāb yustakhraj minhu al-anghām (كتاب يستخرج منه الأنغام), Kanz al-ṭarab wa-ghāyat al-arab (كنز الطرب وغاية الأرب), Risālah fī al-mūsīqī (رسالة في الموسيقي) and Risālah fī ʿilm al-mūsīqī (رسالة في علم الموسيقي).

A unique and innovative visual notation system is employed, in which colour-coded diagrams represent a stave of eight notes. Instructions for melodic development and performance are indicated using a system of abbreviations and symbols in these colours. The range of notes is also expanded to higher and lower pitches using a combination of colours and abjad notation.

The treatise is followed by a poem attributed to al-Ṣaydāwī, with interlinear rubrication indicating the modes in which it is to be sung (f. 18v), followed by another anonymous poem (ff. 19r-19v).

The copy is defective, apparently lacking a folio between the present folios 11 and 12.

Divisions of the text:

• Introduction (ff. 1v-2v);
• On the root (أصول), derived (فروع), and secondary (أوازات) modes (ff. 2v-6r);
• On the degrees of the scale (بحور، أبحر; ff. 6r-7r);
• On the notation in colours and symbols employed in the diagrams (ff. 7r-9r);
• On the transposition of scales (ff. 12v-13r);
• On finding the modes from any position on the sāz (f. 14r).

Diagrams and tables:

• Diagram of the first of the root modes, Rāst (الراست), and of two of its derived modes (f. 9v);
• Diagram of the second of the root modes, ʿIrāq (العراق), and of two of its derived modes (f. 10r);
• Diagram of the third of the root modes, Zīrāfkand (الزيرافكند), and of two of its derived modes (f. 10v);
• Diagram of the fourth of the root modes, Iṣfahān (الإصفهان), and of two of its derived modes (f. 11r);
• Diagram of three of the six secondary modes (f. 11v);
• Diagram of four of the seven degrees of the scale (f. 12r);
• Summary diagram showing the relationship between notes, modes, and the signs of the zodiac (f. 12v);
• Tabulation of the transposition of scales (جدول الطبقات, f. 13v);
• Two diagrams demonstrating [transposition] errors (مخالفات) followed by a tabulation (f.14v-15v);
• Unlabelled diagram (f. 16r);
• Table of modal endings (دوائر الانتهاء, f. 16v);
• Unlabelled diagram (f. 17r);
• Table of modal endings (دوائر الانتهاء, f. 17v);
• Unlabelled diagram (f. 18r).

Begins (f. 1v, lines 1-4):

...وبه المستعان وعليه التكلان

الحمد لله ولي النعمة من جاد لي منه بعلم النغمة

وأشكر الله على عطاه شكراً جزيلاً نامياً يرضاه

ثم الصلاة دائمًا مع الرضى على النبي الهاشمي المرتضى

Colophon Section at the end of a manuscript text. (f. 9r, lines 9-11):

بخط أضعف العباد وأحوجهم الى رحمة الله الجواد الراجي غفور به

العزيز [؟] الفقيرعبد العزيز ابن عمر بن محمد ابن ناصر الدين الكردي اللشافعي غفر الله [له] ولوالديه

وذلك بتأريخ ثالث عشر شهر رمضان المعظم قدره من شهور سنة ست وتسعمائة

Ends (f. 19v, lines 1-6):

ته دلالًا فأنت أهل لذاكا

وتحكم فالحسن قد أعطاكا

ولك الأمر فاقضِ ما أنت قاضٍ

فعليّ الجمال قد ولاكا

وتلافي إن كان فيه ائتلافي

بك عجل به جُعِلتُ فداكا

Extent and format

Codex A collection of pages, usually gathered into quires, and bound between covers. ; ff. ii+19+xxx

Physical characteristics

Material: Eastern laid paper

Dimensions: 220 x 159 mm leaf [145 x 105 mm written]

Foliation: Eastern Arabic foliation in pencil, British Museum foliation in pencil

Ruling: Text within ruled frames of variable sizes, 11-28 lines per page; main text: 17 lines per page. Vertical spacing 12 lines per 10 cm.

Script: Naskh ; the scribe is ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz ibn ʿUmar ibn Muḥammad ibn Nāṣir al-Dīn al-Kurdī (عبد العزيز ابن عمر بن محمد بن ناصر الدين الكردي, see f. 9r, line 10)

Ink: Main text in black, with extensive use of green, red, purple, maroon, yellow, and blue inks.

Decoration: Pages set within green and red ruled frames; decorated heading (f. 1r)

Binding: Three-quarter red leather binding with orange buckram sides, the back board stamped with British Museum crown.

Condition: Stable; folios heavily restored, f. 2 repaired with gauze.

Marginalia: None

Seals: British Museum stamps: ff. 1r and 19v

Written in

Arabic in Arabic script

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