Manifestations of the Tress in the Poetry of Forṣat al-Dawla Shirazi and Ne‘mat Fasāʾi

Abstract

The present study examines the manifestations of the tress in the divans of two prominent poets of the Qajar era, Mirza Hosseini Forṣat al-Dawla Shirazi and Mirza Mohammad Hosseini Ne‘mat Fasāʾi. The concept of the tress, in addition to its literal and lexical meanings, carries metaphorical and symbolic connotations. The use of the tress in mystical literature describes divine beauty, as well as the beloved’s beauty and romantic themes. The primary objective of this research is to elucidate the perspectives of these two poets regarding the mystical term "tress" during the period of literary return and to analyze the similarities and differences in their viewpoints on the use of this term. This study compiles various manifestations of the tress from the perspectives of these two major Qajar-era poets, Forṣat and Ne‘mat, employing a descriptive-analytical approach. The term "tress" appears 142 times in Forṣat’s divan and 263 times in Ne‘mat’s divan. Both poets were influenced by great literary figures such as Hafez and Sa‘di and were familiar with the teachings of the Khorasani and Baghdadi literary schools. The findings of this research present the interpretations and meanings of the tress in the divans of these two poets, accompanied by examples and analyses.