Document Type : Original Article
Author
Art University of Tehran
Abstract
The main aim of this desk research is to study Qanun instrument in Persian poetry from the 4th century to 11th century (solar Hijri calendar) in order to seek the roots of this instrument in Persian literature. Indeed, the literature of every nation in each era mirrors cultural, social and political circumstances of that state throughout ages. Qanun belongs to the family of stringed instruments like Dulcimer (Santour) or Chang. Over the ages, Chang has manifested itself in disparate forms, one of which is an instrument with a trapezoid shaped resonance box called Qanun.
Today, the identity of Qanun instrument is employed by the neighboring countries of Iran such as Turkey and some Arab nations. Nevertheless, the presence of Qanun instrument in the history of music in Iran has long been extant and this existence can be observed in numerous poems in Persian literature during different centuries.
From 4th to 11th century (solar Hijri calendar) various poetic styles emerged, the most notable of which were Khorasani, Iraqi and Indian styles. The use of the word ‘Qanun’ in the poems of Iranian poets has had multiple aspects and meanings some of which include concepts such as rules and principles, name of books and name of instruments.
According to research findings, the meaning of Qanun as a musical instrument was not common in Khorasani style poetry and was first observed in the poems of the sixth century (solar Hijri calendar) poets. It appears that the name ‘Qanun’ as a musical instrument was not used in the poems of the poets living in the eastern parts of Iran. In the sixth century (solar Hijri calendar) the name ‘Qanun’ was applied in the verses of Khaghani Shervani and Nezami Ganjavi both of whom were living in the western parts of Iran and not the eastern regions.
Among the other significant findings of the study, one should point out the numerous uses of Qanun instrument in the poems of different poets in the 10th and 11th century (solar Hijri calendar) of the Safavid era. The frequent use of the name “Qanun instrument” in the poems of the Indian-style poets is noteworthy. This is apparent to such an extent that in the poems of Bidel Dehlavi “Qanun instrument’ is mentioned forty times.
Surveying credible dictionaries, one can realize that the word ‘Qanun’ has an amphiboly embodied in itself incorporating three separate meanings: 1. The central meaning of Qanun 2. The name of a book written by Avicenna (one of the most significant physicians, astronomers, thinkers and writers of 10th-11th centuries) and 3. The name of the instrument. Therefore, not in all the literary verses where this word has been used, it explicitly refers to the Qanun instrument. In order to recognize this, the relevance and relationship of the verse in context must be identified even though this may prove truly difficult at times.
The research method in this article is qualitative and exploratory. Furthermore, the collection of data has been done using library method.
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