The Glory of the Shia World, by P. M. Sykes and Khan Bahadur Ahmad din Khan, [1910]
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THE SEAL OF THE IMAM RIZA
The inscription on the seal runs as follows:—
| Glory be to Allah I, the Vice-regent of Allah, Sultan Abul Hasan Ali, Son of Musa-ar-Riza. O Conqueror of the enemies! O Chief of the friends O Source of Wonders! O Ali the Chosen! |
I was meditating how to write the date of this work
In hidden but complete verse,
When Hatif (the Good Angel) put out his head and sang,
"This book of travel has been speedily completed." 1
Printed by R. & R. CLARK, LIMITED, Edinburgh.
279:1 No Persian work can be concluded without its date being shown in a verse, each letter of which possesses a numerical value. In the present instance, the number is A.H. 1331; but by a poetical conceit, the H in Hatif is "put out" or deducted, making A.H. 1326 (1908) which is the year in which the book was completed. The Persian text runs as follows:
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Persian Epigram