17:57:27


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Bidding Information
Lot #    25215
Auction End Date    12/8/2009 10:49:00 AM (mm/dd/yyyy)
          
Title Information
Title (English)    Shahzadeh ṿe-Tsufi (Ben ha-Melekh ve-ha-Nazir)
Title (Hebrew)    שהזאדה וצופי (בן המלך והנזיר)
Author    R. Abraham ben Samuel ha-Levi ibn Hasdai
City    Jerusalem
Publication Date    1907
          
Collection Information
Independent Item    This listing is an independent item not part of any collection
          
Description Information
Physical
Description		    Only edition. [2, portrait], 56 ff. quarto 240:118 mm., usual age staining, not bound.
          
Detailed
Description		    Persian edition of the famed Ben ha-Melekh ve-ha-Nazir of R. Abraham ben Samuel ha-Levi ibn Hasdai prepared by R. Elishah ben Samuel Ragiv for those who are unfamiliar with both Hebrew version. Ben ha-Melekh ve-ha-Nazir is the Hebrew version of an Arabic tale, derived from an Indian romance. A popular story, Ben ha-Melekh ve-ha-Nazir (The Prince and the Hermit), has been translated into several languages. The Hebrew version, derived from the Arabic Kitab Balahuar wa-Budasaph, was prepared by R. Abraham ben Samuel ha-Levi ibn Hasdai in the first decades of the 13th century. Originally a Hindu (Pahlavi) story, there are Georgian, Greek and Latin versions of this popular tale. The Hindu version centers about a prince (Buddha) who becomes an ascetic; the protagonists are Balauhar and Budasaph. In its Christian version, as Barlaam and Josaphat, the story became so popular that it was introduced into the Catholic calendar and its protagonist (originally Buddha) became an unofficial saint. concerned with the vanity of this world, consists of of thirty five chapters. The book is a series of tales, fables, maxims and proverbs in intermingled prose and verse, prepared by Abraham ben Samuel ha-Levi ibn Hasdai. A sybaritic king, after exiling his chief minister for becoming a hermit, has a son whose horoscope fortells he too will become an ascetic (hermit). To forstall this event, and to keep his son ignorant of the troubles and sorrows of the world, the king has a castle built on an isolated island, to which the young prince is sent. The king hopes to thus prevent the prince from obtaining worldly knowledge. Nevertheless, one day the prince, while walking, comes upon a hermit, the former royal minister, also exiled by the king. They begin a series of discussions, and, over a period of time, the hermit instructs the prince in a variety of subjects, among them ethics, philosophy, and theology. Intermixed with these discussions are others concerning romance, diverting tales, parables, and even humor. Ibn Hasdai=s version of Ben ha-Melekh ve-ha-Nazir contains considerable ten parables not found in other versions, as well as varying from other translations, suggesting that it is closer to the original Indian tale, as well as that some of the material may have been added by Hasdai. His rendition of this work, together with the rhymed prose, attests to Hasdai's skills as a story teller.
          
Paragraph 2    והוא שרח על ספר בן המלך והנזיר, אשר חובר בתחלה בל' יון ונעתק בל' ערבי וממנה לשפת עברי ע"י ה"ר אברהם ב"ר שמואל בן ר' חסדאי הלוי זצ"ל ... ואחריו קם ... ר' אלישע בן ... ר' שמואל זלה"ה המכונה מו' ראגיב השאע'יר (בעיר צמרקנד) בשנת התמ"ד ליצירה ... והעתיקו בשפת פרס בשיר וחרוזים ... וע"ע [ועד עתה] החיבור ... היה בכתיבת יד ... ואנכי ... שמעון חכם ... ראיתי כי בני עדתנו ... המתגוררים במדינות פרס וערי בוכארא ... רודפים אחר הס' הזה ... נתעוררתי להוציאו לאור הדפוס ולנקותו ... מכל הטעיות והשיבושים ... והדפסתיו באותיות [עבריות] גדולות ובנקודות ...

תג'יכית-יהודית (בוכארית), באותיות עבריות. הפורטריט הוא של ר' שמעון חכם, שהוסיף כנראה פירושי מלים והערות בעברית בשולי הפנים. השער, שני קטעים מלשונו של אבן-חסדאי ("משל" מנוקד מתוך הקדמתו בדף [2, ב] וקטע בדף מב, ב) וכן הערותיו של חכם הם בעברית.

          
Reference
Description		    Heller, 16th Century Hebrew Book; CD-EPI 0106177
        
Associated Images
2 Images (Click thumbnail to view full size image):
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  2   Click to view full size  
  
  
Listing Classification
Period
20th Century:    Checked
  
Location
Israel:    Checked
  
Subject
Other:    Poetry
  
Characteristic
Language:    Judeo-Persian
  
Manuscript Type
  
Kind of Judaica