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- Permanent Link:
- http://digital.soas.ac.uk/LOAA000084/00001
Notes
- Abstract:
- This manuscript contains a very old copy of the famous religious poem, given to Hichens by Muhammad Kijumwa. The Swahili translation of the poem date 1792 AD (1207 AH) and was done by Sayyid Idarus bin Athman,. The Hamziyya, as it is known among the Swahili, is written in Arabic and Swahili and it is an ode in praise of the Prophet Muhammed. The first line of each verse is in Arabic and the second line is the Swahili translation of the first line. The Arabic part of the poem in known as 'Ummul-Kura' and was written by Sheikh Muhammad bin Said, known as Albusiry, a prominent Egyptian poet. The name Hamziyya, which refers to the poem that combines the Arabic and Swahili lines, originated from the fact that in Arabic prosody every poem rhyming in 'Hamza' is called Hamziyya. However, this is not a concern for the Swahili community who knows the poem as Hamziyya per se, without any reference to the rhyming pattern. The main linguistic characteristic of the poem is that it is written in Kingov(z)i, archaic Swahili, and the translation from Arabic to Swahili is very literal. A typical stanza contains 30 mizani (syllabic measure) in each baiti. The number of syllables in each line varies between 14 and 15. The poem used to be recited by professional singers from Pate, Siu, and Bajuni. They learned the poem by heart and performed it in coastal towns.
- General Note:
- Incipit: Nanza kwa jinale Bismillahi lenye adhama Na rrahmani Muwawazi na rrahima
- General Note:
- Mistari ya kwanza ya hati: Nanza kwa jinale Bismillahi lenye adhama Na rrahmani Muwawazi na rrahima
- General Note:
- Scribe: Athman bin Al-Kadhi
- General Note:
- Būṣīrī, Sharaf al-Dīn Muḥammad ibn Saʻīd, 1213?-1296? = Abū 'Abdallāh Muhammad ibn Sa'īd ul-Būsīrī Ash Shadhili, 1211–1294 = Sheikh Muhammad bin Said al-Busiry
- General Note:
- Relevant dialect: Kingozi
- General Note:
- See also SOAS manuscript See MS 53827
- General Note:
- Relevant Publications: Knappert, J. 1979. Four Centuries of Swahili Verses. Heinemann, London, pp. 103-108. Wa Mutiso, Kineene. 2001. AAP 68-Swahili Forum VIII, pp. 81-115. Forthcoming, Wa Mutiso Kineene, 2002. AAP 69-Swahili Forum IX
- General Note:
- Original pages partly damaged
- General Note:
- Biographical history: Sheikh Muhammad bin Said al-Busiry is the author of the Arabic version. He was a prominent Egyptian writer and poet. Sayyid Idarus bin Athman is the author of the Swahili translation. He was a prominent theologian of the Lamu Coast as well as a Swahili and Arabic scholar.
- General Note:
- Al-Hinawy, Mbarak, Sheikh-Sir, 1896-1959 = Mbarak Ali Hinawy
- General Note:
- Kijuma, Muhammad = Muhammad Kijumwa
- General Note:
- Composition dates from circa 1652 A.D. (Gregorian calendar) = circa 1062 A.H. (Hijri calendar)
- General Note:
- Handwritten manuscript
- General Note:
- Manuscript dates from circa 1652 A.D. (Gregorian calendar) = circa 1062 A.H. (Hijri calendar)
- General Note:
- Purchased from Kegan Paul, 26 November 1948
- General Note:
- The poem called Hamziyya, in Arabic script
- General Note:
- 1 small red bound book
- General Note:
- Swahili text inscribed in Arabic script
- Funding:
- Digitised for Swahili Studies at the Centre for the Study of Manuscript Cultures at the Universität Hamburg, with funds from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (the German Research Foundation).
- Funding:
- The 'Objects of instruction : the treasures of SOAS' exhibition was funded through a generous gift from the Foyle Foundation and with the support of the Arts & Humanities Research Council.
- Citation/Reference:
- Cited in: Objects of instruction : treasures of the School of Oriental and African Studies, Anna Contadini, Editor. London : SOAS, University of London, 2007. Listed as item number: 91.
- General Note:
- Curators of the Objects of instruction exhibition give the date (in error?) as 1792
- Donation:
- W.M. Hichens collection.
- General Note:
- VIAF (name authority) : Būṣīrī, Sharaf al-Dīn Muḥammad ibn Saʻīd, 1213?-1296? : URI http://viaf.org/viaf/90042754
- General Note:
- VIAF (name authority) : Al-Hinawy, Mbarak, Sheikh-Sir, 1896-1959 : URI http://viaf.org/viaf/305366593
- General Note:
- Exhibition Notes: Mbarak Ali Hinawy, Arab Assistant to the District Commissioner in Mombasa, described the Hamziyya as a 456-verse poem rhyming in the Arabic letter hamza in praise of the Prophet Muhammad, written by the Egyptian poet Muḥammad ibn Sa'īd Al-Būṣīrī (608-698 AH/1212-96 CE). It was translated into Swahili (rhyming in mīm) by Aidarus bin Athman Al-Sheikh Ali in 1162 AH (1749 CE). In 1936 many Swahili families still owned manuscripts of the translation but few could understand its archaic language. The poem relates the Prophet’s life from his birth to his visit to Medina (verses 281-325), followed by praises for him, his family and Companions (verses 326-389), and the Prophet’s repentance for his shortcomings (verse 390). It concludes with prayers invoking mercy for the Prophet (Text by Tania Tribe, from the exhibition catalogue: Objects of instruction : treasures of the School of Oriental and African Studies, Anna Contadini, Editor. London : SOAS, University of London, 2007.)
Record Information
- Source Institution:
- SOAS, University of London
- Holding Location:
- Archives and Special Collections
- Rights Management:
- Archives and Special Collections
- Resource Identifier:
- MS 53823 ( soas manuscript number )
MS 380931 ( soas manuscript number )
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