First printed edition
Carmen mysticum Borda dictum Abi Abdallae M. B. S. Busiridae Aegyptii: e codice manuscripto B. L. B. Latine conversum. Accedunt origines Arabico-Hebraicae.
4to (162 x 211 mm). (4), 76 pp. Contemporary marbled boards with leather spine; giltstamped red morocco title label to upper cover.
$1,664.00
First printed edition of the famous and influential 13th century ode "Al-Burda", a religious poem in praise of the Prophet Muhammad, known in English as "The Poem of the Mantle" or under its original title "al-Kawakib ad-durriyya fi Madh Khayr al-Bariyya" ("Luminous Stars in Praise of the Best of Mankind"). Written by the Sanhaji Berber poet Abu Muhammad ibn Sa'id al-Busiri (1212-94) from Egypt, the "Qasida al-Burda" remains one of the most widely known and beloved poems of the Muslim faith. According to legend, al-Busiri wrote the poem while ill, and thanks to his literary effort was miraculously healed in a dream.
Printed in Arabic type, with a Latin translation on facing pages, the book would see a second issue in 1771, at Utrecht. The edition was the work of the Hungarian orientalist János Uri (1726-96), who died at Oxford whilst labouring on the catalogue of oriental manuscripts at the Bodleian library.
From the library of the École Sainte-Geneviève, Paris, with their stamp to the title-page. Founded in Paris in 1854 by the Society of Jesus as a preparatory school, Sainte-Geneviève closed its doors in 1901.
A few very minor traces of dampstaining, but generally well preserved and prettily bound.
Schnurrer p. 199f., no. 207. GAL I, 308 (264), 14, 1. OCLC 64930109.