Investigating Good Omens Astrology in the Poetry of Anvari, Nezami, and Masud Sa'd Salman
Subject Areas : Research in Iranian classical literature
Rahman Zare
1
*
,
MohamadHosein Karami
2
1 - Ph.D in Persian Language and Literature, Shiraz University, Iran.
2 - Professor, Department of Persian Language and Literature, Shiraz University, Iran.
Keywords: Astronomy, Astronomical Images, Horoscope, Astronomy in Persian Poems, Good and Bad Omens. ,
Abstract :
Investigating Good Omens Astrology in the Poetry
of Anvari, Nezami, and Masud Sa'd Salman
Rahman Zare*
Mohammad Hossein Karami**
Past generations’ wide attention to the sky and constellations caused people to believe in the impact of constellations on their lives. The issue encompassed all life affairs such as destiny, victories and failures, fortunes and misfortunes, inundation, and drought. It also caused new concepts to rise, such as the good and bad omens, horoscopes, and astronomical power. This common belief aroused interest in Iranian poets, specifically after the second half of the fifth century of the Hijra (11th century AD). Therefore, it would be impossible to interpret the verses of those poets without having enough astronomical knowledge. In the present study, good omens in the poetry of Anvari, Nezami, and Masud Sa'd Salman have been investigated, who were also astronomers. As a result, forty-seven good omens were extracted from the poems of these poets, and their goodness was explained based on reliable and ancient astronomical works. Considering bad omens was also necessary to discuss good omens. However, due to the lack of space, we will study those bad omens in another research.
Keywords: Astronomy, Astronomical Images, Horoscope, Astronomy in Persian Poems, Good and Bad Omens.
Introduction
One of the most widely used astronomical words in Persian poetry is the word Tāle. Today, Tāle is used to mean luck and fortune. Still, Tāle in astronomical works has the following meaning: “The rising star, the zodiac sign, the degree of the zodiac, and the part of the zodiac region that is on the eastern horizon at a given time. If that time was the time of a person’s birth, it is called the Tāle of the person born or the Tāle of that person. And if it is at the beginning of the solar year, it is called the Tāle of that year, and its degree is the Tāle. And if it is at the beginning of the solar year, it is called the horoscope of that year, and its degree is the degree of the horoscope. Horoscope is the most famous word in Islamic astronomy” (Musafī, 1357: 486-487). Also, Abu Rayhan al-Biruni says about the horoscope: “The horoscope came to the eastern horizon at the time from the zodiac region. The constellation is called the horoscope, and the degree is called the degree of the horoscope.” (Biruni, 1362: 205). In the astrological rules, it is recommended to refer to the horoscope and choose the appropriate time to do anything. It is on this basis that Persian poets have devoted a lot of attention to the horoscope, good fortune, and astronomical misfortunes, and the frequency of expressions such as horoscope, fortune-teller.
Research method
The method of this research is description and content analysis. First, by studying the poems of Masoud Saad, Anvari, and Nezami, verses related to the topic were collected and then categorized, examined, analyzed, and explained.
Discussion
The auspiciousness of a star or horoscope is sometimes due to the belief that certain stars are auspicious, sometimes due to the rising or presence of a star in a specific position in the zodiac, and sometimes it arises from the conjunction and synchronism of two or more stars. Shahmardan Ibn Abi al-Khair says about Saad and Nahs in astronomy: “Astrologers agree that Saturn is a major Nahs, Jupiter is a major Saad, Mars is a minor Nahs, Venus is a minor Saad, and the Sun is a Saad from friendship and a Nahs from enmity, and the Moon is a Saad by its very nature, but due to its Nahs and the connection of the stars, and Mercury is Saad, Saad and Nahs are bad and receptive to natures, and because only the mind tends to happiness” (Shahmardan Ibn Abi al-Khair Razi, 1382: 61). Continuing his remarks, he pointed out an important point and said: "What we have said is an absolute statement and it is not permissible to rely on this; for Saturn, which is a great misfortune, because the position of the Buddha is favorable to it and there is a certain luck in it, brings misfortune and happiness that is better than it. And Jupiter, which is a great happiness, because the Buddha is in a bad and unfavorable position, brings misfortune and failure." "Because this incompatibility prevents him from his nature and the nature of happiness. And although this is true, they do not call Saturn happy and Jupiter unlucky, but they say that Saturn is happy in nature and Jupiter is unlucky in nature" (ibid.). In light of these words, in understanding the horoscopes of Saad and Nahs in astrology, the position of the star is very important, and it is the nature of the star and its position that is effective in determining the horoscope. In the following, we will examine the horoscopes of Saad in the poems of Nizami, Masoud Saad, and Anvari, considering the nature of the stars, their position in the zodiac region, and the relationship between the stars.
Gemini Horoscope
Predecessors believed that "anyone born under the Gemini horoscope is endowed with wealth, intelligence, and fortune, and it was the custom of ancient kings to choose the fortune of their children from Gemini; in such a way that a nut harvest was prepared, and each of them picked a nut and broke it. If he had a brain, he would have been lucky and made the crown prince. [This verse] means that from the Gemini horoscope, you will be born fortunately and then break the nut, an allusion to the fact that you should associate with the wealthy until you become wealthy" (Nizami, Makhzan-ul-Asrar, 1383: 131). Therefore, having a Gemini horoscope was blessed and auspicious.
Mars's negativity
Mars is the minor negativity, and "the negativity node is one of the two intersection points of the carrier and declination planes of the moon, and it is called Jawzahr-e Dem in Persian" (Musfi, 1978: 304).
Nizami says: A coal that is worthless and ugly, when it burns an enemy, becomes precious and fragrant for friends, like a precious and fragrant incense. To prove his claim, he brings the analogy of the second stanza and says: inauspicious Mars becomes auspicious and blessed when it is placed in a place that is itself ugly, unattractive, and inauspicious.
Result
In this study, by examining the poems of Nizami, Anvari, and Masoud Saad Salman, we identified 47 Saad horoscopes of Islamic astrology, and by referring to ancient and authoritative works of Islamic astrology, we explained the reason why they were called Saad. As a result of this study, it became possible to correctly read and accurately interpret many verses of Persian poetry that are related to Islamic astrology. As a result of examining the horoscopes of Saad, the astronomical rulings in the poems of Masoud, Nizami, and Anvari, we observed that every star gains strength in its own house, in the house of happiness, and the house of honor, and if it is the star of Saad, its prosperity is increased. Also, the fact that the star of Saad is at its peak increases its prosperity. Regarding the horoscope of Cancer, which Masoud Saad had used in two ways and at first glance it seemed that he considered it an inauspicious horoscope, unlike others, we also explained by citing various examples from poems by other poets and historical texts that this horoscope is Saad and Masoud used Cancer, which also means crab, in a way that refers to the zodiac sign of Cancer with the word "tale" and the crab with the word "kuzhroo". In fact, he attributed kuzhroo not to the zodiac sign of Cancer but to the crab. Regarding the horoscope of "Moon in Capricorn", we said that according to ancient works of Haqqami astronomy, the Moon being in Capricorn is considered inauspicious for the common people, but for kings, it is considered auspicious and is a sign of victory and conquest.
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* Corresponding Author: Ph.D in Persian Language and Literature, Shiraz University, Iran.
rahman.zare7@gmail.com
** Professor, Department of Persian Language and Literature, Shiraz University, Iran.
Mohamadhkarami@gmail.com
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