Hatif Isfahani

Biography

Hatif Isfahani, Sayyid Ahmad Husayni (d. 1783), physician and poet whose family originally hailed from Urdubad, Azerbaijan, whose ancestors had settled in Isfahan under the Safavids. He was born in Isfahan, where he learned mathematics, philosophy, medicine, and Arabic disciplines. He studied philosophy and mathematics under Mirza Muhammad Nasir Tabib Isfahani, the author of Mir’at al-Haqiqa, and distinguished himself as a skillful physician under the Karim Khan Zand. He chose Mushtaq as his master in poetry at whose suggestion he attended the sessions of the Mushtaq Society which was attended by the supporters of modern trends in poetry. Attending the teaching sessions of Mirza Nasir and Mushtaq, he made the acquaintance of Lutf’ali Beyg Azar and Sulayman Sabahi Bidguli Kashi. He was patronized by and served as a companion of Mir ‘Abd al-Wahhab Musawi, the governor of Isfahan, but following the governor’s dismissal, he, accompanied by Lutf’ali Beyg Azar, traveled to Qum and, but after a while, they departed for Kashan and associated with Sabahi. According to some biographical sources, these three poets repeatedly traveled to Kashan, Isfahan, and Qum. Hatif died in Qum where he was laid to rest. It is reported in some sources that he died in Kashan but was laid to rest in Qum. He had mastery of Arabic and Persian poetical compositions and had composed numerous eulogies on the Shi’ate Imams, particularly Imam ‘Ali, He rejuvenated the styles of Sa’di and Khwaju-yi Kirmani in composing ghazal, a style which had been formerly fallen into disuse. Hatif composed ghazals on the models of Anwari and Kamal al-Din Isfahani. His tarji’band, the longest of the poems composed during the restoration era, is similar to Shaykh Fakhr al-Din ‘Iraqi’s tarji’s. Hatif is famous for having composed this poem which comprises five stanzas and deals with oneness of God. His works include his divan of poetry comprising of qasidas, ghazals, qit’as, tarji’s, and quatrains.

Asar-afarinan (6/ 121); Tadhkira-yi Ruz-i Rawshan (915-917).