Descrizione

4to. (20), 171, (1) pp. With large engraved arms of William V of Orange to dedication leaf. Full vellum with handwritten spine title. First edition of this famous collection of Arabic proverbs by the Persian-born scholar Zamakhshari (1075-1144), edited and translated by Hendrik Albert Schultens (1749-93), professor of oriental languages at the University of Leyden. - Little is known of Zamakhshari's youth. He was apparently well-travelled and resided at least twice (once for an extended period of time) in the holy city of Mecca, where he earned his nickname, Jar Allah. As a philologist, he considered Arabic the queen of languages, in spite of the fact that his own native tongue was Persian (and though he wrote several minor works in that language). - Occasional light browning due to paper. Blindstamps of the library of Haverford College, Pennsylvania, to title and dedication. A good copy. - Schnurrer 215. GAL I, 292, no. XIV (p. 348). Brill's first encyclopaedia of Islam VIII, 1207. OCLC 4522262.