Subject Headings - Calligraphy, Arabic - Calligraphy, Persian - Manuscripts, Persian--Washington (D.C.) - India - Pakistan - Arabic script calligraphy - Illuminated Islamic manuscripts - Islamic calligraphy - Islamic manuscripts - Nasta'liq Notes - A Persian iambic pentameter quatrain, or ruba'i, promoting personal independence, written in the black Nasta'liq script by calligrapher Muhammad Riza "Kitabdar" from Lahore (India/Pakistan). - Bi-hich yar mada khatir u bi-hich diyar / Ka barr u bahr farakh-ast u adami bisyar / Garat hazar badi' ul-jamal pish ayad / Babin u buguzar u khatir bi-hich yak masapar - Dimensions of Written Surface: 9.8 (w) x 17.2 (h) cm - Do not get tied to any person or to any place / Because the land and sea are vast and people are many / If a thousand beautiful ones come towards you / Look, move on, and do not get attached to anybody - Executed in black nasta'liq script on a beige paper, the verses are highlighted from the cloud motifs formed by the gold painted background. The text panel is decorated by salmon and blue borders decorated with gold motifs and pasted to a larger sheet of brown paper backed by cardboard. - In the lower left corner, the calligraphic specimen has been signed by a certain Muhammad Riza "Kitabdar" ("the Librarian"). On the verso of this fragment, a later note attributes the work to a certain "Muhammad Riza Lahuri" as well. Judging from these two notes, it appears that Muhammad Riza was a librarian-calligrapher active in Lahore. He may have formed part a group of calligraphers active in Lahore during the 18th century, which included 'Abdallah Lahuri (1-04-713.19.43), Muhammad Zahir Lahuri (1-04-713.19.40), and Muhammad Muhsin Lahuri (1-04-713.19.52). - This calligraphic fragment includes an iambic pentameter quatrain, or ruba'i, promoting personal independence and the renunciation of attachment (khatir) to people and places. Beginning with an invocation to God as the Glorified (huwa al-mu'izz), the verses read: - Script: nasta'liq - 1-04-713.19.46 Medium 1 volume ; 23.8 (w) x 36.6 (h) cm Repository Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA Digital Id https://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.040 Library of Congress Control Number 2019714551 Online Format image LCCN Permalink https://lccn.loc.gov/2019714551 Additional Metadata Formats MARCXML Record MODS Record Dublin Core Record IIIF Presentation Manifest Manifest (JSON/LD)