‘Atabi Takalui (Hasan)

Biography

‘Attabi Takallu, Hasan Biyg (1565-1616), son of Bakhshi Biyg. A poet with the nom de plume ‘Attabi. He was reportedly born in Herat or Qazwin and it is reported that he grew up in Rayy. He was well-versed in jurisprudence and further disciplines. He departed for Isfahan in his early poetical career and served as a boon companion of the Safavid Shah ‘Abbas, and was commissioned by the latter to compose a mathnawi, entitled Muntazir al-Abrar, in the meter of Nizami’s Makhzan al-Asrar, and was highly rewarded. He accompanied Mir Muhammad Ma’sum Bakri, the emissary of Jalal al-Din Akbar Shah, to India in 1604 and was introduced by the latter to Akbar Shah. Having journeyed in India for a while, he returned to Isfahan, but departed for India after a while and died in Lahore. His works reflect his mastery of composing exquisitely elegant ghazals, qasida, and mathnawi. Further works of this prolific poet include a Khamsa, composed on the model of Nizami’s Khamsa; Sam u Pari; Iraj u Giti; Hada’iq al-Azhar; Majma’ al-Bahrayn; Farhad u Shirin; Samqinama; and divan of poetry. 

Tarikh-i Adabiyyat dar Iran (5, 989-992); Farhang-i Sukhanvaran (624).