Yazd UniversityJournal of Kavoshnameh in Persian Language and Literature2645-453X276820260522An Analytical Comparison of Travelogues and Books of Wonders in Terms of ContentAn Analytical Comparison of Travelogues and Books of Wonders in Terms of Content937416010.29252/kavosh.2026.23136.3700FAZahraGolabi ZadehPhD student in Persian language and literature, Tarbiat Modares University0009-0006-5812-8471NaserNikoubakhtProfessor, Department of Persian Language and Literature, Tarbiat Modares UniversityJournal Article20250608This study presents an analytical comparison of travelogues and wonder literature (Aja’ib-nameh) with a focus on their content and narrative structures. Both genres occupy a significant place in classical Persian and Arabic literature and often share thematic overlaps, particularly in describing distant lands, unfamiliar peoples, and marvelous phenomena. However, they differ in their primary objectives and degrees of realism. Travelogues are generally based on the author’s personal observations and empirical experiences, aiming to present realistic descriptions of places and historical contexts. In contrast, wonder literature emphasizes extraordinary events, mythical creatures, and marvelous phenomena, aiming to evoke fascination and curiosity in readers. By examining selected examples from well-known texts such as Naser Khosrow’s <em>Safarnameh</em> and Qazvini’s <em>Aja’ib al-Makhluqat</em>, this study identifies the main similarities and distinctions between the two genres. The analysis shows that, while travelogues function as documentary narratives grounded in observation, wonder literature combines imagination with traditional beliefs. Ultimately, the two genres represent complementary approaches to the unknown, reflecting the complex socio-cultural worldview of the pre-modern era regarding geographical and cultural “Otherness”.
This study presents an analytical comparison of travelogues and wonder literature (Aja’ib-nameh) with a focus on their content and narrative structures. Both genres occupy a significant place in classical Persian and Arabic literature and often share thematic overlaps, particularly in describing distant lands, unfamiliar peoples, and marvelous phenomena. However, they differ in their primary objectives and degrees of realism. Travelogues are generally based on the author’s personal observations and empirical experiences, aiming to present realistic descriptions of places and historical contexts. In contrast, wonder literature emphasizes extraordinary events, mythical creatures, and marvelous phenomena, aiming to evoke fascination and curiosity in readers. By examining selected examples from well-known texts such as Naser Khosrow’s <em>Safarnameh</em> and Qazvini’s <em>Aja’ib al-Makhluqat</em>, this study identifies the main similarities and distinctions between the two genres. The analysis shows that, while travelogues function as documentary narratives grounded in observation, wonder literature combines imagination with traditional beliefs. Ultimately, the two genres represent complementary approaches to the unknown, reflecting the complex socio-cultural worldview of the pre-modern era regarding geographical and cultural “Otherness”.
https://kavoshnameh.yazd.ac.ir/article_4160_f4dc220cbf05cae2cf7f58036bf3b096.pdfYazd UniversityJournal of Kavoshnameh in Persian Language and Literature2645-453X276820260522Cognitive Governance of Rhetorical Devices in Mystical Language: A Case Study of Oslūb al-ḤakīmCognitive Governance of Rhetorical Devices in Mystical Language: A Case Study of Oslūb al-Ḥakīm3973416410.29252/kavosh.2026.23548.3745FAZeinabAkbariDepartment of Persian Language and Literature, Faculty of Literature, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran0000-0003-2474-690XBatoolVaezAssociate Professor of Persian language and literature, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran0000-0001-7523-8513Journal Article20250819Mystical language in the Islamic tradition has long been at the intersection of ineffable experience and spiritual pedagogy, making it a central problem in linguistic and hermeneutic studies. Focusing on the rhetorical device of Oslūb al-Ḥakīm and employing Sperber and Wilson’s Relevance Theory, this study investigates how Sufi discourse reshapes cognitive environments and redirects interpretation through indirect and expectation-defying responses. The research is based on a qualitative analysis of forty instances of Oslūb al-Ḥakīm drawn from classical Persian mystical texts. The analysis was conducted at the two interrelated levels of a) the inferential and cognitive mechanisms underlying this rhetorical strategy and b) its pedagogical and epistemic functions within Sufi discourse. The findings reveal five principal functions including subverting surface expectations to redirect perception from outward forms to inward meanings, transforming conflictual situations into ethical instruction, reversing epistemic hierarchies by attributing authority to marginal figures, redefining concepts through the collapse of conventional significations, and challenging juridical hegemony and Sharia-centered discourse. The study demonstrates that mystical language serves not merely as a means of expression but as an epistemic and transformative act that generates profound cognitive effects through purposeful increases in processing efforts.Mystical language in the Islamic tradition has long been at the intersection of ineffable experience and spiritual pedagogy, making it a central problem in linguistic and hermeneutic studies. Focusing on the rhetorical device of Oslūb al-Ḥakīm and employing Sperber and Wilson’s Relevance Theory, this study investigates how Sufi discourse reshapes cognitive environments and redirects interpretation through indirect and expectation-defying responses. The research is based on a qualitative analysis of forty instances of Oslūb al-Ḥakīm drawn from classical Persian mystical texts. The analysis was conducted at the two interrelated levels of a) the inferential and cognitive mechanisms underlying this rhetorical strategy and b) its pedagogical and epistemic functions within Sufi discourse. The findings reveal five principal functions including subverting surface expectations to redirect perception from outward forms to inward meanings, transforming conflictual situations into ethical instruction, reversing epistemic hierarchies by attributing authority to marginal figures, redefining concepts through the collapse of conventional significations, and challenging juridical hegemony and Sharia-centered discourse. The study demonstrates that mystical language serves not merely as a means of expression but as an epistemic and transformative act that generates profound cognitive effects through purposeful increases in processing efforts.https://kavoshnameh.yazd.ac.ir/article_4164_003bf26cb00fbd1be557c319d372e068.pdfYazd UniversityJournal of Kavoshnameh in Persian Language and Literature2645-453X276820260522The background of Sheikh Mahmoud Shabestari's view on the nature and conditions of thinking in Persian mystical texts before the Gulshan-e-RazThe background of Sheikh Mahmoud Shabestari's view on the nature and conditions of thinking in Persian mystical texts before the Gulshan-e-Raz75103418410.29252/kavosh.2026.22068.3616FAMohammadrezaBahri LalePersian language and literature department, the faculty of Persian literature and foreign languages, university of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran0009-0008-5208-1646AssadollahVahed-Persian language and literature department, the faculty of Persian literature and foreign languages, university of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran0000-0002-4698-272XEbrahimRanjbarPersian language and literature department, the faculty of Persian literature and foreign languages, university of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran0000-0001-9236-7026MirjalilAkramiPersian language and literature department, the faculty of Persian literature and foreign languages, university of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran0000-0003-3265-8205Journal Article20240916Thinking and its nature and characteristics are among the most important and frequent topics raised in the mystical texts of the Islamic period. They are also among the intellectual-mystical concerns of Iranian mystics and the first question that Hosseini Heravi asked Sheikh Mahmoud Shabestari. This led to the writing of <em>the Gulshan-e-Raz</em>, which is related to thinking and its nature. In this article, the authors emphasize the essential distinction between the definitions of thinking in the two fields of mysticism and philosophy while examining the opinions of Islamic mystics in Persian verse and prose works before <em>the Gulshan-e-Raz</em>. They have shown Shabestari's adherence to the Iranian-Islamic theological and mystical tradition on the subject under discussion. Shabestari's perception of the nature of thinking, as an esoteric journey based on discovery and intuition to achieve truth, is in complete agreement with the mystics before him. He also speaks of abstraction and attraction as the necessary conditions for acquiring correct thinking that is immune to deviation. This view is clearly seen in the works of his predecessors as well. Such agreement of opinions may indicate the distinguished position of <em>the Gulshan-e-Raz</em> and the Azerbaijani mystical school in the convergence of mystical currents of the eighth century.Thinking and its nature and characteristics are among the most important and frequent topics raised in the mystical texts of the Islamic period. They are also among the intellectual-mystical concerns of Iranian mystics and the first question that Hosseini Heravi asked Sheikh Mahmoud Shabestari. This led to the writing of <em>the Gulshan-e-Raz</em>, which is related to thinking and its nature. In this article, the authors emphasize the essential distinction between the definitions of thinking in the two fields of mysticism and philosophy while examining the opinions of Islamic mystics in Persian verse and prose works before <em>the Gulshan-e-Raz</em>. They have shown Shabestari's adherence to the Iranian-Islamic theological and mystical tradition on the subject under discussion. Shabestari's perception of the nature of thinking, as an esoteric journey based on discovery and intuition to achieve truth, is in complete agreement with the mystics before him. He also speaks of abstraction and attraction as the necessary conditions for acquiring correct thinking that is immune to deviation. This view is clearly seen in the works of his predecessors as well. Such agreement of opinions may indicate the distinguished position of <em>the Gulshan-e-Raz</em> and the Azerbaijani mystical school in the convergence of mystical currents of the eighth century.https://kavoshnameh.yazd.ac.ir/article_4184_84b1c4f6a106ac20d9493a0e9bd36b12.pdfYazd UniversityJournal of Kavoshnameh in Persian Language and Literature2645-453X276820260522The Policy of Silence and Deliberate Omissions in Beyhaqi HistoryThe Policy of Silence and Deliberate Omissions in Beyhaqi History105132421910.29252/kavosh.2026.24079.3796FAMojganMirhosseiniAssistant Professor, Department of Persian Language and Literature, Kowsar University, BojnourdJournal Article20251209Beyhaqi holds a distinctive position in classical Persian historiography due to his meticulous composition, narrative richness, and politico-administrative analyses. During the Ghaznavid period, an era dominated by Ash'arite theological thought predicated on determinism and the acceptance of divine destiny, the straightforward and unvarnished narration of reality devoid of omission or apprehension proved to be untenable. This premise gives rise to the hypothesis that Beyhaqi may have been compelled on certain occasions to make deliberate omission or choose strategic silence. Employing an analytical-historical approach through library-based research and drawing upon primary and secondary sources, this study addresses the fundamental questions ‘In which domains did Beyhaqi resort to deliberate silence or omissions?’ and ‘What motivations underlie them?’ The findings indicate that these omissions and silence cases predominantly occur in the representation of principal actors, the positive services of certain figures, internal court rivalries and conspiracies, suspicious deaths, financial corruption of certain personalities, military defeats, internal insurrections, sectarian and religious activities, the influence of women within the court, and the recounting of his own personal relationships. The silence is not attributable to ignorance or forgetfulness; rather, it constitutes the outcome of ideological, political, and methodological choices within the framework of courtly historiography. They create a latent presence that, through deliberate absence, reveals the author's political and value orientations, functioning as a mechanism for preserving royal legitimacy, navigating courtly competition, and upholding the ethics of secretarial conduct.Beyhaqi holds a distinctive position in classical Persian historiography due to his meticulous composition, narrative richness, and politico-administrative analyses. During the Ghaznavid period, an era dominated by Ash'arite theological thought predicated on determinism and the acceptance of divine destiny, the straightforward and unvarnished narration of reality devoid of omission or apprehension proved to be untenable. This premise gives rise to the hypothesis that Beyhaqi may have been compelled on certain occasions to make deliberate omission or choose strategic silence. Employing an analytical-historical approach through library-based research and drawing upon primary and secondary sources, this study addresses the fundamental questions ‘In which domains did Beyhaqi resort to deliberate silence or omissions?’ and ‘What motivations underlie them?’ The findings indicate that these omissions and silence cases predominantly occur in the representation of principal actors, the positive services of certain figures, internal court rivalries and conspiracies, suspicious deaths, financial corruption of certain personalities, military defeats, internal insurrections, sectarian and religious activities, the influence of women within the court, and the recounting of his own personal relationships. The silence is not attributable to ignorance or forgetfulness; rather, it constitutes the outcome of ideological, political, and methodological choices within the framework of courtly historiography. They create a latent presence that, through deliberate absence, reveals the author's political and value orientations, functioning as a mechanism for preserving royal legitimacy, navigating courtly competition, and upholding the ethics of secretarial conduct.https://kavoshnameh.yazd.ac.ir/article_4219_ee19b24cc88a0e52f47dbeb59b15f1c6.pdfYazd UniversityJournal of Kavoshnameh in Persian Language and Literature2645-453X276820260522Investigating the Adaptations of the Famous Sonnet “Emrooz Shah-e Anjoman-e Delbaran Yeki Ast” and Making a Hypothesis Regarding its True poetInvestigating the Adaptations of the Famous Sonnet “Emrooz Shah-e Anjoman-e Delbaran Yeki Ast” and Making a Hypothesis Regarding its True poet133160422210.29252/kavosh.2026.23443.3737FAFathemehTaslim JahromiDepartment of Persian Language and Literature, Faculty of Humanities, Jahrom University, Jahrom, Iran0000-0002-8020-9538BahramShabaniDepartment of Persian Language and Literature, Faculty of Humanities, Jahrom University, Jahrom, Iran.Journal Article20250731Among the sonnets occasionally attributed to Hafez in various non-standard manuscripts is a piece beginning with the line <em>“Emrooz shah-e anjoman-e delbaran yeki hast / Delbar agar hezar bood, delbar-e an yeki hast”.</em> This poem has also been attributed to Amir Khosrow Dehlavi, Jami, and Esmat Bukhari, while some sources designate it as the work of an unknown poet. Utilizing a descriptive-analytical approach and library research, this study identifies six poets who have composed <em>istiqbal</em> (literary responses/imitations) to this poem, analyzing these adaptations through a stylistic lens in comparison with the original sonnet. The findings indicate that most of the poets who responded to this work were either mystics or poet-mystics, and the majority of commentators interpret the beloved (<em>mamdouh</em>) in this poem as God or the Prophet, associating it with the concept of <em>Wahdat al-Wujud</em> (Unity of Being). Given that the peak of these imitations occurred during the 8<sup>th</sup> and 9<sup>th</sup> centuries AH, it is highly probable that the poem was composed within this timeframe or reached its zenith of popularity during this era. Furthermore, due to the numerous imitations by prominent contemporary or near-contemporary poets, the original author’s identity has remained obscure. Based on the findings of this research, it is highly likely that this sonnet was composed by Esmat Bukhari, who himself imitated a poem by Amir Khosrow Dehlavi. Esmat’s contemporaneity with Hafez, the passage of time, his relative lack of fame compared to Hafez, and the lack of a standardized collection of his works have led to the incorporation of this poem into Hafez’s anthology and its subsequent fame under his name.Among the sonnets occasionally attributed to Hafez in various non-standard manuscripts is a piece beginning with the line <em>“Emrooz shah-e anjoman-e delbaran yeki hast / Delbar agar hezar bood, delbar-e an yeki hast”.</em> This poem has also been attributed to Amir Khosrow Dehlavi, Jami, and Esmat Bukhari, while some sources designate it as the work of an unknown poet. Utilizing a descriptive-analytical approach and library research, this study identifies six poets who have composed <em>istiqbal</em> (literary responses/imitations) to this poem, analyzing these adaptations through a stylistic lens in comparison with the original sonnet. The findings indicate that most of the poets who responded to this work were either mystics or poet-mystics, and the majority of commentators interpret the beloved (<em>mamdouh</em>) in this poem as God or the Prophet, associating it with the concept of <em>Wahdat al-Wujud</em> (Unity of Being). Given that the peak of these imitations occurred during the 8<sup>th</sup> and 9<sup>th</sup> centuries AH, it is highly probable that the poem was composed within this timeframe or reached its zenith of popularity during this era. Furthermore, due to the numerous imitations by prominent contemporary or near-contemporary poets, the original author’s identity has remained obscure. Based on the findings of this research, it is highly likely that this sonnet was composed by Esmat Bukhari, who himself imitated a poem by Amir Khosrow Dehlavi. Esmat’s contemporaneity with Hafez, the passage of time, his relative lack of fame compared to Hafez, and the lack of a standardized collection of his works have led to the incorporation of this poem into Hafez’s anthology and its subsequent fame under his name.https://kavoshnameh.yazd.ac.ir/article_4222_f819155f9ffe9359a639a948bef6ef62.pdfYazd UniversityJournal of Kavoshnameh in Persian Language and Literature2645-453X276820260522A Narratological Analysis of Jennī Lu‘bat as an Imaginary Other in Rūzbihān Shīrāzī’s Abhar al-‘ĀshiqīnA Narratological Analysis of Jennī Lu‘bat as an Imaginary Other in Rūzbihān Shīrāzī’s Abhar al-‘Āshiqīn163196422110.29252/kavosh.2026.23834.3777FAHosseinTaheriPhD in Persian language and literature, Shiraz University0000-0002-5412-3407Journal Article20251018This article presents a narratological analysis of the experience of love in <em>Abhar al-‘Āshiqīn</em>, with a special focus on the character Jannī La‘bat and her interactions with the narrator. The study aims to examine how human and divine love are constituted through dialogue, erotic desire, the lover’s rejection, and ultimately the formation of reciprocal love. The analysis is grounded in four theoretical frameworks: Gérard Genette (narrative structure), Tzvetan Todorov (narrative pattern and crisis–resolution), Paul Ricoeur (hermeneutics and living metaphor), and Mieke Bal (narrative semiotics). Findings show that the narrative, moving from the narrator’s initial encounter with Jannī La‘bat to the production of <em>Abhar al-‘Āshiqīn</em>, exhibits a multilayered and interwoven structure encompassing temporal, focal, semantic, and semiotic dimensions. The lover’s desire and Jannī La‘bat’s refusal function as a crucial narrative tension, enabling the development of reciprocal love and the creation of a meaningful text. Through this process, Jannī La‘bat’s role evolves from the object of desire to an agent of meaning, guiding the narrative toward the synthesis of human and divine love. This progression reveals the complexity of character interactions, the transformation of the narrative from individual experience to shared experience, and the role of dialogue and trial in consolidating meaning and narrative structure, allowing for a multilayered reading and reflection on the concepts of love and spirituality.<br /> This article presents a narratological analysis of the experience of love in <em>Abhar al-‘Āshiqīn</em>, with a special focus on the character Jannī La‘bat and her interactions with the narrator. The study aims to examine how human and divine love are constituted through dialogue, erotic desire, the lover’s rejection, and ultimately the formation of reciprocal love. The analysis is grounded in four theoretical frameworks: Gérard Genette (narrative structure), Tzvetan Todorov (narrative pattern and crisis–resolution), Paul Ricoeur (hermeneutics and living metaphor), and Mieke Bal (narrative semiotics). Findings show that the narrative, moving from the narrator’s initial encounter with Jannī La‘bat to the production of <em>Abhar al-‘Āshiqīn</em>, exhibits a multilayered and interwoven structure encompassing temporal, focal, semantic, and semiotic dimensions. The lover’s desire and Jannī La‘bat’s refusal function as a crucial narrative tension, enabling the development of reciprocal love and the creation of a meaningful text. Through this process, Jannī La‘bat’s role evolves from the object of desire to an agent of meaning, guiding the narrative toward the synthesis of human and divine love. This progression reveals the complexity of character interactions, the transformation of the narrative from individual experience to shared experience, and the role of dialogue and trial in consolidating meaning and narrative structure, allowing for a multilayered reading and reflection on the concepts of love and spirituality.<br /> https://kavoshnameh.yazd.ac.ir/article_4221_136eb1d004a54bac7569993c8084cbf4.pdf