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GENERAL STRUCTURE OF PERSIANPAREMIOGRAPHICAL COLLECTIONS

SHURGAIA, TeaGÜRCİSTAN/GEORGIA/ГРУЗИЯ

ABSTRACT

Studies and analysis of Persian paremiographical collections have made it possible to reveal the structural model of the collections. The model reflects the structure of all important Iranian collections published up until this point. The structure similar to the eastern paremiographical collection enables us to suppose that the model established for Persian collections is suitable for the description of the other eastern paremiographical collections. Grounding on the mentioned model, there is given in the paper the description of the most significant Persian paremiographical collections in tabulated form, as a case in point.

In the present paper the peculiarities of Persian paremiographical collections are presented in corresponding figure that may also be applied for the classification of other eastern paremiographical collections.

Key Words: Persion, collections, paremiographical collections.

In the East the popular wisdom and proverbs, in particular, are introduced not only in didactic or some other type of literary monuments but they are entered even into ancient explanatory dictionaries. Since ancient times they were assembled in special collections and anthologies.

The Arabs were among the first to compile such collections of proverbs. As Faud Rayess wittily notes that “While other nations were still coining phrases the Arabs were compiling them” (Rayess, 1969). The fact that the compiler of one of the ancient and the most sound collection of Arabic proverbs Majma’ al-Amthal (“A Collection of Proverbs”) – Abu-l-fazl Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Maidani (died 518 H) made use of more than fifty sources for his anthology is very meaningful.

While on the subject of the services rendered by the Arabs to this realm Iranian paremiographer and paremiologist Ahmad Bahmaniar

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(naming about ten Arab paremiographers and their death dates) notices: “Collection of Arabic proverbs and compilation of anthologies started as soon as Arabs stepped into civilization… the works on Arabic proverbs had been created at a period from the middle of the second and up to the six century of Hijra” (Bahmaniar, 1982; La). When listing the names of those Arab paremiographers whose collections reached us (Ibn Muhammad Dabi, Abu ‘Ubaid al-Qasim b. Sallam Al-Harawi, Abu Hilal al-Askari, Hamza al-Isfahani, Ahmad b. Muhammad al-Maidani, Abu al-Qasim az-Zamakhshari) A.Bahmaniar notices that among them the most sophisticated one is the collection of al-Maidani.

Compilation of paremiographical collections in Arabic had taken place earlier than in Turkish or Persian languages. It is likely due to this fact for a long period Arabic model remained to be guiding principle for Turkish and Iranian paremiographers. The titles of one part of these anthologies replicate the titles of Arabic collections at times faithfully and at other times approximately. The latter phenomenon may have to do with the Arabic model.

For some earlier theoretical suggestions regarding proverbs Arab grammarians are responsible as well.

Turkish proverbs had been fixed from olden days. A well-known Turk Folklorist Ilhan Başgőz believes that “The earliest proverbs among the Turks in Anatolia (the Western Uguz) are found in an epic manuscript called Kitab-i Dede Korkut (The Book of Grandfather Korkut)” the final manuscript of which must have been created and recorded in the second half of the fifteenth century (Başgőz, 1994; 47). Though according to Najat Muallimoglu, Turkish proverbs are thought to have been fixed well before. He notes: “Turkish proverbs are among the earliest in the world to appear in a book. Mahmoud Kashgari, an “11th century Turkic scholar who is thought by some to have been the author of the world’s first dictionary” published the first and most important Turkish dictionary, Diwan-i Lugat-i Turk, in Baghdad, Iraq, in 1074. Mahmoud Kashgari, who wrote this monumental work to teach Arabs Turkish, included in it 290 proverbs which are very much alive in today’s Turkish language” (Muallimoglu, 1988).

The problem of the antiquity of fixation of the proverbs of one or another nation is interesting in itself. But the paper deals only with paremiographical collections, namely with general structure of Persian proverbs collections. I do not intend to discuss the problems concerned with the proverbs fixed in one or other literary, historical or epigraphical monuments.

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Traditionally the history of Iranian Paremiography dates back to the collections compiled in India in the middle of the XVII century.

Muhammad Ali Hablerudi’s Majma’ al-Amthal or “A Collection of Proverbs” that had been compiled in 1049 (1639/40) H lunar calendar in Golkonda, near Haidarabad (India), is considered to be the most ancient collection of Persian proverbs. It includes more than 2000 proverbs, allegoric or proverbial expressions. To Muhammad Ali Hablerudi belongs as well “A Collection of Fables” (Jame’ at-Tamthil || Majma’ al-Amthal) compiled in Haidarabad in 1054 (1644/45) H lunar calender. The latter Collection was more popular in Iran than his Majma’ al-Amthal. The difference lies in the fact that the patterns fixed in one of them are not given in the other. And there is one more distinguishing feature: In Jame’ at-Tamthil (“A Collection of Fables”) proverbs and idioms are accompanied by appropriate fables and stories. There is a good reason to believe that the latter phenomenon had become the reason for its popularity. 1100 patterns are included into the collection.

Hablerudi’s Majma’ al-Amthal is worthy of attention from other point of view, namely: in his introductory to the collection he tells how the idea of creating of collection came into being and he traces it to Sheikh-ol-eslam Muhammad Khatun. According to Hablerudi, once when a noble society gathered, a conversation started about Arabic, Dari and Turkish proverbs. One of those presented said that, on the instruction of Shah Abas Safavi, Turkish proverbs had already been collected. Hablerudi quotes Muhammad Khatun saying that Arab scholars straightened out Arabic proverbs, Turks took the trouble to do it with Turkish proverbs and “as a candle can not light the bottom of the candlestick, not a single Persian orator has ever been enthralled by the collection of Persian proverbs… if anyone fastens the belt of Endeavour around the waist and straightens out proverbs of Persian nation scattered within the Big Dipper and Dog’s Tail then justice will triumph“ (Hablerudi, 1965; 3). In the same place Hablerudi notices that others as well had a desire to undertake to do the work. It is not improbable that it was Mirza Sadeq Sadeqi Esfahani (According to some sources his name is Haj Mirza Ali Akbar Qaem Maqam), the author of a well-known book “Shahed’ (“Shahed-e Sadeq”) that was compiled contemporaneously with Hablerudi’s second collection in India in 1054 (1644/5) lunar Hijra. It is not an independent collection of Persian proverbs. It consists of 5 chapters which in their turn are divided into sections. In the 80th section of the 3d chapter there are given 560 Persian proverbs and idioms.

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In the story narrated by Hablerudi several issues are worthy of attention: 1) by then the collection of Arabic and Turkish proverbs had already existed and it was already an established fact; 2) it would be interesting to know why did Shah Abas give order to compile a collection of Turkish proverbs? It is not inconceivable that by the collection compiled by the order of Shah Abas a Persian-Turkish phraseological dictionary described by S.I. Bayevski is meant.

In the Description of Persian-Tajik Manuscripts of the Institute of Asian Nations under number 139 Bayevski gives manuscript B 573 (487) which, according to him, is a well-known Persian-Turkish Phraseological Dictionary (Bayevski, 1968; 75). The Dictionary is titled “Dastur-ol-amal” (“Principles of Behavior”). Other titles are: “Zarb-ol-mathal” (“Proverb”) and “Mokhtasare Majmu’at” (“Short Collection”). Turkish poet Mula Muhammad ibn Mustafa Efendi (pen name is Riazi Efendi, died in 1054/1644) is named as an author. The collection considered to be compiled before 1033 H (1623/4). It was rewritten in the XVIII century in Turkey. In the named collection Persian idioms, aphorisms, sayings and proverbs together with their translation are arranged in alphabetical order within 25 chapters. To illustrate some patterns the compiler brings fragments from the works of classic Iranian poets indicating their authors as well. The collection contains the author’s preface. Unfortunately the manuscript has been inaccessible to me. My attempts to obtain any information on the monument from special literature existing in Persian or European languages have not meet with success either. However, it is safe to say that the microfilm listed in the index of microfilms of The University of Chicago Library under number 314 – “Dastur al’amal” (Mulla Muhammad ibn Mustafa Efendi, Dastur al’amal; Microfilm (positive) of Vienna: Osterreichische Nationalbibliothek ms. http://www.lib.uchicago.edu/e/su/mideast/ManuWebI-M.html) must be the Persian-Turkish dictionary named by Bayevski.

Investigations into this monument will put things right in the history of Persian and Turkish paremiography and lexicography. It is obvious that the problem should be considered further in its own right.

Let us revert to Persian paremiographical collections. Ever since XVII century, and in the second half of the XX century, in particular, in Iran and abroad, considerable number of collections of Persian proverbs, aphorisms, sayings and idioms have been compiled.

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Numerous collections of Persian proverbs (considering their merits and demerits) are akin for many indications:

1) Proverbs, sayings, aphorisms, idioms and other types of phraseological units are randomly assembled. Thus in course of translation of their titles the word “proverb” does not always faithfully reproduce the content of a collection;

2) In collections where there are given stories connected with proverbs and idioms, for the most part we run across the personal inferences of the compiler and the scientific reasoning on the subject is done to a lesser extent;

3) The collections, based on alphabetic order prevail, though they do not always follow the same basic principle (attention is paid only to the first letter of the first word);

4) The number of the paremias is artificially increased through reuse of slightly different variants of one and the same patterns;

5) Global contemporary achievements of paremiology and paremiography have not been considered and this has adversely affected the academic standards of the collections;

6) Most impressive is the number of “literary paremias” assembled in the collection and this is attributable to their popularity in Iran.

Based on the analysis of the available material, Persian paremiographic literature compiled by Iranians can be divided into two major groups A and B (see Fig.1).

In group A we combined the collections of genuine Persian proverbs; group B covers bilingual or multilingual paremiographic collections (dictionaries). These groups in their turn have been subdivided into subgroups. In group A three subgroups have been singled out:

A1 – collections based on folklore paremias;

A2 – collections based on literary paremias;

A3 – collections containing paremias with the stories connected with them.

In group B two subgroups have been singled out:

B1– collections where Persian is the first language.

B2 – collections where Persian is the second language.

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In connection with the figure 1 some points should be necessarily defined: we call “collections based on folklore paremias” the collections where the majority of the patterns represent folklore paremias. Generally, one can hardly find any Iranian collection in which Persian beyts and misra’s (distiches and hemistiches) or sometimes even longer pieces – from the classic poetry in particular – are not introduced.

“Collections based on literary paremias” we call the collections wherein the majority (if not all of them) of patterns are beyts and misra’s of Iranian poets. It is of no importance in this instance, that these expressions have authors; it is more significant that they are “literary” in form.

Here particular emphasis should be given to the characteristic feature of the Persian paremiological fund that is the availability of a sizeable portion of “literary paremias” in it.

When examining Iranian paremiography created in the XX century, the following tendency is observed: most of the compilers try to present proverbs together with the source stories and in the context, citing lengthy pieces from poetic works.

As a result of analysis of dozens of Persian proverb collections the general structure of Persian proverb collections have been established (Fig.2).

It appears that leaning upon the proposed model it is conceivable to depict any collection of Persian proverbs compiled and published up until this point and to record them via indexes. The majority of the valuable paremiographic collections and dictionaries have been depicted based on the established structural model and shown through the tables (Fig. 3), and thus, in our opinion, those interested in Persian paremiography will find it easier to understand the material and carry out research. The extension and supplementation of the tables is still possible. The table does not cover the description of the dictionaries involved in group B2, as the first language in them is other than Persian and Persian paremias are given as equivalents only. Of course one cannot find in the table all collections of Persian proverbs. In the paper emphasis has been placed on the most significant collections only. Of course there are collections that are unknown to me. The proverbs of Iranian ethnic groups have also remained outside of the table. This fact is responsible for the title of the given article: “General Structure of Persian (not Iranian) Paremiographic Collections” though I should also mention that the proverb collections of

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the ethnic groups living in Iran compiled by an Iranian fully responds to the structural model established here (Fig. 2).

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importance in this instance, that these expressions have authors; it is more significant that they are “literary” in form.

Here particular emphasis should be given to the characteristic feature of the Persian paremiological fund that is the availability of a sizeable portion of “literary paremias” in it.

When examining Iranian paremiography created in the XX century, the following tendency is observed: most of the compilers try to present proverbs together with the source stories and in the context, citing lengthy pieces from poetic works.

As a result of analysis of dozens of Persian proverb collections the general structure of Persian proverb collections have been established (Fig.2).

It appears that leaning upon the proposed model it is conceivable to depict any collection of Persian proverbs compiled and published up until this point and to record them via indexes. The majority of the valuable paremiographic collections and dictionaries have been depicted based on the established structural model and shown through the tables (Fig.3), and thus, in our opinion, those interested in Persian paremiography will find it easier to understand the material and carry out research. The extension and supplementation of the tables is still possible. The table does not cover the description of the dictionaries involved in group B2, as the first language in them is other than Persian and Persian paremias are given as equivalents only. Of course one cannot find in the table all collections of Persian proverbs. In our study emphasis has been placed on the most significant collections only. Of course there are collections that are unknown to us. The proverbs of Iranian ethnic groups have also remained outside of the table. This fact is responsible for the title of the given article: “General Structure of Persian (not Iranian) Paremiographic Collections” though we should also mention that the proverb collections of the ethnic groups living in Iran compiled by an Iranian fully responds to the structural model established here (Fig. 2).

Figure 1.

A B

A1 A2 B1 B2

A3

Collections of Persian paremias

Bilingual and Multilingual Collections (dictionaries)

Collections based on Folklore paremias

Collections based on literary

paremias

Collections where Persian

is the first language

Collections where Persian is the second

language

Paremias with the stories

connected with them

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Figure 2. General Structure of Persian Proverb Collections

Popular (M1a) of a compiler (M1) Scientific (M1b) 1. Introduction (M) of a publisher (M2)

of an authority (M3)

2. In the basic text (C ) the patterns are accompanied by: Comments (C1) Synonymous paremia Appropriate fable Quatation from the (C2) (C3) classic literature (C4) brief detailed (C1a) (C1b) of authors, personal and/or geographic names (Fn) of cited works 3. Indices (F) of key words (Fk) of thematic (Ft) of proverbs (Fp) Bibliography (K) 4. Appendixes others (Z) Alphabetic (Ta) 5. Type of classification Lexical (Tk) Thematic (Tt)

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Figure 2. General Structure of Persian Proverb Collections

Popular (M1a) of a compiler (M1) Scientific (M1b) 1. Introduction (M) of a publisher (M2)

of an authority (M3)

2. In the basic text (C ) the patterns are accompanied by: Comments (C1) Synonymous paremia Appropriate fable Quatation from the (C2) (C3) classic literature (C4) brief detailed (C1a) (C1b) of authors, personal and/or geographic names (Fn) of cited works 3. Indices (F) of key words (Fk) of thematic (Ft) of proverbs (Fp) Bibliography (K) 4. Appendixes others (Z) Alphabetic (Ta) 5. Type of classification Lexical (Tk) Thematic (Tt)

Figure 3Group A

NTitle of a Collection

(author)Introduction

(M)Basic Text

(C ) +Indices

(F)Appen-dixes

Type of Classification

(T)Group

1Majma’ Al-amthal (Hablerudi)

M1a T

aA

1

2Proverbs and Aphorisms(A.Dehkhoda)

M2a

C4, C

2, C

3,

C1a

Fn

Ta

A2

3Fables Connected with Proverbs (A.Amini)

M1a, 2M

3C

3, C

4, C

1a F

pT

aA

3

4Popular Proverbs of Iran (M.Soheili)

M1a C

1a, C

2, C

3Z T

aA

1

5Dastannameye Bahmaniar (A.Bahmaniar)

M1b, M

2,

M3

C1a, C

3 T

aA

1

6Historical Roots of Proverbs (M.Partavi)

M1a, M

2,

3M3

C1b, C

3, C

4 K T

aA

3

7

Persian Proverbs and Aphorism Finder (J.Shakibi Guilani, A.Haghshenas Lari, M.Ghajar)

2M1b F

1T

aA

2

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8Proverbs and Their Stories (A.Vakilian)

M1a C

1, C

3, C

42F

n, F

p2Z, 2K T

aA

3

9Proverb Land (R.Shirazi)

M2

C1a, C

3, C

4 F

pT

aA

3

10Sugar and Salt (J.Shahri)

M1, M

2C

1a, C

3, C

2 F

nT

aA

1

11Proverbs and Aphorisms.. (R.Afifi)

M1b C

4F

nK T

aA

2

1210000 Persian Proverbs (E. Shokurzadeh)

M1b

C1a, C

2,

C3, C

4

Fk

K, Z Ta

A1

13Well Known Iranian Proverbs (Q.Azarli)

M1

C1a, C

2T

aA

1

14Best Iranian Proverbs (S.Salahshur)

M1a C

1a, C

2 T

aA

1

15

Some Persian Proverbs and Expressions (literary and slang) (H.Rajabzadeh)

M1b C

1b, C

3, C

4F

kT

aA

3

16Poetic Proverbs (H.Khorami)

M1a, M

3T

aA

2

17

Aphorisms and Proverbs from the Mathnavi (A.Mo’ayyed)

M1b C

1b, C

4Z T

aA

2

18

A Modern Dictionary of Selected Persian Proverbs (A.Abrishami)

M1b C

1a, C

3, C

4 K T

kA

1

19Ashura in Folklore – Proverbs (M.Arefirad)

M3b C

1a, C

3 F

pT

aA

3

20Sokhan Dictionary of Proverbs (H. Anvari)

M1b, M

2

C1a, C

2,

C3, C

4

Fk

K, 2Z Ta

A2

21Fables Connected with Proverbs (H. Zolfaghari)

M1a, M

1b C

3, C

4F

n, F

pK T

aA

3

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Group B

NTitle of a Collection (author)

Introduction(M)

Basic Text(C ) +

Indices(F)

Appen-dixes

Type of Classification (T)

1Persian-English Proverbs

(S.Haim)P2M

1a, M

3C

1a, C

2, C

3F

pT

a

2

A Dictionary of Persian Proverbs with English & French

Equivalents (A. Abrishami)

M1a, M

1b C

2C

1a, 2K T

k

3A Comparative Dictionary of Persian Proverbs and Dictums

(A.Abrishami)M

1b C

2

Fn,

Ft

C1a, 2K T

k

4A Dictionary of Persian-English

Proverbs (A. Abrishami)

M1b C

2F

kC

1a, K T

k

51001 Persian-English Proverbs

(Simin K.Habibian)M

1a, 2M

3C

2F

p2K T

a

6

A Selection of Persian Proverbs, Sayings and Idioms with their English Translation

(A.Pazargadi)

M1a C

1a, C

2T

a

On close examination of anthologies of Arabic and Turkish proverbs and reviews of them it becomes obvious that structurally and methodologically they are closely similar to the Persian paremiographical collections compiled by Iranians:

1. Alphabetic and rarely thematic classification;

2. Abundance of literary paremias;

3. Comments on the proverbs via context and stories related to them;

4. Proverbs and aphorisms and different types of phraseological units are introduced without delimitation.

From the above reasoning it is clear that the given model reflecting the structure and nature of Persian paremiographical collections are suitable for collections compiled by Arab and Turk paremiographers. Ultimately, the investigators into Arabic and Turkish proverbs are able to either validate or disprove the hypothesis.

KAYNAKÇA1.Bayevski, S. I., (1968), Opisanie Persidskikh i Tajikskikh Rukopisei

Instituta Narodov Azii, 5, Moskwa, 103.2. Bahmaniār, A., (1361/1982), Dāstānnāme-ye Bahmaniāri, Tehran,

574.

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3. Başgöz, I., (1994), “The Hourse Does the Work, the Hero Boasts”: The Seven-Century Life of a Turkish Proverb, Proverbium, 11, 47-55.

4. Hablerudi, M., (1344/1965), Majma’ Al-Amthāl, S. Kia (ed.), Tehran, 309.

5. Muallimoglu, N., (1988), The Turkish Delights: A Treasury of Proverbs and Folk Sayings, http://www.ottomansouvenir.com/Turkish_Proverbs/Turkish_Proverbs.htm

6. Rayess, F., (1969), The Cream of Wisdom, http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/196901/the.cream.

of.wisdom.htm

Persian Proverb Collections (Group A and B)1. Hablerudi, M., (1344/1965), Majma’ Al-Amthāl (“A Collection of Proverbs”), ed. S.Kiyā, Tehrān. 2. Dehkhodā , ‘A., (2537), Amthāl va hekam (“Proverbs and Aphorisms”), v.1-4, Tehrān.3. Amini, A.-Q, (1351 /1972), Dāstānhā-ye Amthāl (“Fables Connected with Proverbs”), Esfahān.4. Soheili, M., (1349 /1970), Zarb-ol-mathalhā-ye ma’roof-e Irān (“Popular Proverbs of Iran”), Tehrān. 5. Bahmaniār, A., (1361/1982), Dāstānnāme-ye Bahmaniāri (“The Proverb Book of Bahmaniar”), Tehrān. 6. Partavi Amali, M., (1374 /1994), Rishehā-ye tārikhi-e amthāl va hekam (“The Historical Roots of Proverbs and Aphorisms”), Tehrān. 7. Shakibi Guilani, J., Haghshenas Lari, ‘A., Ghajar, M., (1366/1987), Pand va dāstānyāb (“Persian Proverbs and Aphorism Finder”), Tehrān- Neshvil. 8. Vakiliān, A., (1366/1987), Tamthil va mathal (“Proverbs and Their Stories”), Tehrān. 9. Shirazi, R., (1368/1990), Mathalābād (“Proverb Land”), Tehrān. 10.Shahri, J. , (1370/1991), Qand va namak (“Sugar and Salt”), Tehrān. 11. Afifi, R., (1371/1992), Mathalhā va hekmathā dar āsār-e shā’erān-e qarn-e sevvom tā yāzdahom-e hejri (“Proverbs and Aphorisms in Persian Poetry of the X-XVIII Centuries”), Tehrān. 12. Shokurzādeh Boluri E., (1372 /1993), Dah hezār mathal-e Fārsi (“Ten Thousand Persian Proverbs”), Mashhad. 13.Āzarli, Q., (1375 /1996), Zarb-ol-mathalhā-ye mashhoor-e Irān, Tehrān. 14.Salahshur S., (1377/1998), Behtarin zarb-ol-mathalhā-ye Irāni

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(“Best Iranian Proverbs”), Tehrān. 15. Rajabzādeh, H., (1376 /1997), Barkhi az mathalhā va ta’birāt-e Fārsi, (adabi va ‘amiāne) (“Some Persian Proverbs and Expressions (literary and slang)”), Mashhad. 16. Khorāmi H., (1376/1997), Zarb-ol-mathalhā-ye manzum (“Poetic Proverbs”), Qom. 17. Mo’ayyed, A., (1376/1997), Ersāl-ol-mathal dar Mathnavi (“Aphorisms and Proverbs from the Mathnavi”), Tehrān. 18.Abrishami, A., (1376/1997), Farhang-e gozide-ye mathalhā-ye Fārsi (“A Modern Dictionary of Selected Persian Proverbs”), Tehrān. 19. ‘Ārefirād, M., (1379 /2000), ‘Āshurā dar farhang-e mardom - zarb-ol-mathalhā (“Ashura in Folklore – Proverbs”), Tehrān. 20. Anvari, H., (1384 /2005), Farhang-e amthāl-e Sokhan (“Sokhan Dictionary of Proverbs”, v. I-II), Tehrān.21. Zolfaghari, H., (1384 /2005), Dāstānhā-ye Amthāl (“Fables connected with Proverbs”), Tehrān.22.Haim, S., (1956), Persian-English Proverbs, Tehrān. 23. Abrishami, A., (1994), A Dictionary of 800 Persian Proverbs with English and French Equivalents, Tehrān. 24. Abrishami, A., (1996), A Comparative Dictionary of Persian Proverbs and Dictums, Tehrān. 25. Abrishami, A., (1997), A Dictionary of Persian-English Proverbs, Tehrān. 26. Habibian, S., (1999), 1001 Persian-English Proverbs, Bathesda, Maryland. 27. Pazargadi, A., (1380 /2001), A Selection of Persian Proverbs, Sayings and Idioms with Their English Translation, Tehrān.