Journal of the stylistic of Persian poem and prose
volume Number 19، number In Volume 6، September 2026 ، issue Number 124

A Stylistic Analysis of the Manuscripts of the Divan of Abd al-Razzaq ibn Ali Asghar, Known as “Attar” and “Sheikh Attar”

Shima Parhizkar , Esmaeil Tajbakhsh (Author in Charge)

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The Divan of Abd al-Razzaq ibn Ali Asghar, known by the pen names “Attar” and “Sheikh Attar,” is one of the poetic manuscripts of the Qajar period that, despite its codicological and literary significance, has not yet been critically edited or systematically studied. According to the information recorded in the National Union Catalogue of Iranian Manuscripts (Fankha) and the internal evidence of the Divan, the poet was a contemporary of Mozaffar al-Din Shah Qajar. This study aims to introduce the two extant manuscripts of the poet’s Divan and to examine the stylistic characteristics of his poetry. It also investigates the poet’s indebtedness to earlier Persian poets as well as his literary and linguistic innovations.

METHODOLOGY: This research was conducted through library-based investigation using a descriptive-analytical approach. The text of the Divan was critically edited according to the eclectic method, with the manuscript preserved in the Library of the Islamic Consultative Assembly serving as the base manuscript and the manuscript preserved in the University of Tehran Library as the secondary witness, while adhering to the principles of critical textual editing.

FINDINGS: The findings indicate that the dominant style of the poet’s works belongs to the Iraqi School. Nevertheless, linguistic, literary, and intellectual features associated with the Khorasani School, the Indian School, and the Maktab-e Voqūʿ (School of Voqūʿ) are also evident throughout the Divan. The most prominent rhetorical devices are simile-based structures, allusion, and alliteration, all of which reflect the poet’s literary and linguistic creativity. Furthermore, the influence of Hafez and Saʿdi, together with the incorporation of elements of Persian folk literature, constitutes one of the distinctive features of the Divan.

CONCLUSION: The findings demonstrate that the Divan of Abd al-Razzaq ibn Ali Asghar deserves scholarly attention not only for its codicological value but also for its stylistic significance. His poetic language is distinguished by the extensive use of rhetorical and figurative devices while remaining fluent and free from excessive verbal and semantic complexity. Love and the depiction of the emotional states of the lover and the beloved constitute the central themes of his poetry. As a Twelver Shiʿi poet, he consistently expresses his devotion to the Fourteen Infallibles, particularly Imam Ali (peace be upon him), throughout the Divan. Mystical and Sufi themes are likewise evident in his poetry. His poems are composed in a variety of classical Persian poetic forms, including the qaṣīda, ghazal, rubāʿī, and other verse forms.

Keyword
Abd al-Razzaq ibn Ali Asghar , Attar , Sheikh Attar , Manuscript , Stylistics