Page 16 - Arab Navigation in the Indian Ocean (before portuguese)_Neat

20 ARAB NAVIGATION THE NAVIGATORS AND THEIR WORKS 21
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is also quoted by nos. 12, 14 and 16. It’s title Nadirat al-abdal shows In addition to these 22 works given in the manuscripts of the
that it deals with abdal latitude measurements using Vega and £ Biblioth£que Nationale, Ferrand has discovered the following works
Aurigae. It consists of 56 verses (ff. 169v-171r) and apart from its quoted or noticed in the other works—mainly in the Fawa'id.
connexions with 14 and 16 is undated. 23. Qafda mukhtafara. The “selective qafda” of which one verse &
16. Dhahabiya. This is the poem most quoted in the Fawa'id and is given in the Fawa'id (f. 38v, I. 17-8).
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seems to be regarded by Ibn Majid as one of the most important. I 24. Qafida lamiya,, rhyming in / of which one verse is quoted on v
It is a fairly long poem of 193 verses (ff. 171r-176r), of qafda type l f. 44v. I. 10. This is said to be on the seven planets. I
rhyming in b and dealing with the intricacies of coastal sailing i.e. ! 25. Qafida ta'iya,, rhyming in t of which three lines are given
the dirat al-Mul of p. 274. The prose description at the beginning ; in f. 52r. 1. 14. This is not the same as the .Leningrad ta'iya no. 38 ■-
describes it as “a study in al-maraqq wa'l-maghzar and its practice, below.
al-minkab (?) and the various signs (asha'ir) such as birds, winds, 26. Qafida kdfiya of which the first line is noticed only “Bism
tirfa accuracy at fixed capes, when the sea is closed to shipping, i Allah al-Rahman al-Malik”. f. Hr, 1. 13.
clouds and landfalls in the Kaws monsoon”. The poem quotes the ! 27. The Greater Nuniya qa$ida mentioned several times but never
Hawiya and nos. 9, 12, 15 and 21 and is dated 893/1487-8 in the quoted. Its first line being “I begin in the name of the First one,
Fawa'idy at least on this date the Dhahabiya and the Fawa'id were the Merciful, f. 25r, 1. 17, f. 50v, 1. 7.44
being written and are therefore to some extent contemporary. 28. The Lesser Nuniya, which is quoted several times. Its first
This may be the reason why this poem is quoted so much by Ibn
I line is said to be, “I have taken up the instrument of two isba\”
Majid. (f. 52v, 1. 4).
17. al-Fd'iqa. This is another nuniya qafda—the one which begins ! 29. Another nuniya qasida the first line of which is “Whenever
“I speak and the ship passes by with two sails” and is quoted several Ghurab rises in the dawn” on ff. 77v-78r, 18 lines of this are quoted—
times by the Fawa'id. It deals with measurements using Canopus ! which may be the whole poqm.
and a Pisces Australis (Fomalhaut). It consists of 57 verses (ff. 176r- 30. A long qafda in m is mentioned of which three verses are given
177v). in f. 18v, 1. 12. It is not the same as no. 9.
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18. A rajaz poem of 64v (ff. 178r-179v) entitled al-Baligha, given 31. A qafda in b f. 7v, of which three verses are given.
i in the form of a qafida rhyming in *ain. It deals with latitude measure­ 32. A rajaz poem on the uses of TIr and Sulbar of which the
ments with Suhail and al-Ramih (Arcturus). first verse is given in f. 8r, 1. 18 and again in f. 28v, I. 15.
19. A group of prose sections on various subjects. These make up 33. The commentary to the Dhahabiya which is mentioned many
the remainder of this manuscript from ff. 179v-181.v. times in the Fawa'id but never quoted. This may be a prose work.
MS 2559 also contains a few works of Ibn Majid. Besides a repeat i As the Dhahabiya was written almost contemporary with the
of the Hawiya (ff. 116-151)Tt contains the following new works. Fawa'id, it is possible that the commentary is a projected work and
20. al-SabHya another important poem quoted many times in the ; was never actually written.
Fawa'id. It consists of 155 verses (ff. 93v-103v) dated 888/1483 34. A non-navigational qafda “In praise of the time of youth”.
dealing with the seven sciences of the sea, but in actual fact ! It rhymed in -nah and several verses are given in f. 45v, 1. 7.
being a general “sailing direction” for the Arabian sea and the 35. A qafda in qaf also on the times of youth quoted in f. 43v.
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Red Sea.
21. A short qafida in q (Qafiya) consisting of 33 verses (ff. 109v- In addition there are the following not quoted by Ferrand.
lllr) on the description of the heavens: It purports to be on the 1 36. A nuniya perhaps also in praise of youth of which a long
science of unknown things fi Him al-majhulat and is quoted several passage is quoted on f. 77r.
times as such in the Fawa'id,and once in the Dhahabiya. 37. A work entitled Hiddya wa'l-ma'rifa li-rukkab al-bahr men-
22. al-Hadiya a rajaz poem dealing with landfalls on the west tioned by name in f. 46a, 1. 17-8.
coast of India. It consists of 155 undated verses (ff. 11 lr—116r) and
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is quoted in the Fawa'id (59v, 1. 2) its first line being given as “Praise 44 The Arabic differs in each case: the first reading #bj\ Jj! ^a>I; the
be to God, the Reckoner,, the Guide”. second, yt-J\ djiI ^ ^Oil.