Saqt Al-Zand, 'The Tinder Spark', A Collection of Poetry by Abu Al-'Ala Al-Ma'arri (d.1058 AD), Syria, dated 700 AH/1300 AD

Arabic manuscript on cream paper, 80 leaves plus two flyleaves, 18 lines to the page, written in naskh script in black and red ink, marginal glosses, seal impressions, later plain binding, with marbled flap

in generally good overall condition, minor paper repairs, a few stains, as viewed.
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Almost seventy works of Al-Ma'arri are recorded by his biographers of the thirteenth century, the present representing one of his two diwans (the other being luzum ma la yalzam, 'Assuming of Unnecessary Obligations'). Al-Ma'arri's works are characterised by their unusually passionate sincerity, and he is considered a writer with a great feeling for the Arabic language.

Abu'l Ala Al-Ma'arri was born in 363 AH/973 AD in Syria and went blind at a young age. Saqt al-zand, an early collection of his poetry, gained a good degree of popularity, "directed by the spark of ambition and accompanied by revelatory flashes of his sensitivity to his personal tragedy" (J. Ashtiany et al [eds], 'Abbasid Belles-Lettres, Cambridge, 1990, p.336). The work is imbued with youthful vigour and helped to establish Al-Ma'arri's reputation as a poet. After travel throughout Syria, as well as two years spent in Baghdad living an ascetic lifestyle, Al-Ma'arri returned to his blace of birth in Syria, Ma'arra, and died in 449 AH/1058 AD.

The manuscript was in various private libraries including a certain Muhammad Ibn 'Ali in 814 AH/1411-12 AD; 'Ilmi al-Baghdadi in 1016 AH/1607-8 AD and 'Abd al-Fazil with his seal dated 1208 AH/1793-4 AD. An oval seal on the opening page dated 1252 AH/1836-7 AD is likely to be the private seal of the Qajar Prince Ardashir. Ardashir Mirza was the ninth son of 'Abbas Mirza Na'ib al-Saltana and a brother of Muhammad Shah (for more information, see M. Bamdad, Dictionary of National Biography of Iran, 1700-1900, vol.I, Tehran 1966, pp.106-07).