Gulchin Ma‘ani

Gulchin Ma’ani, Ahmad (1918-2000), son of ‘Ali Akbar. University professor, biographer, historian, editor, cataloguer, and a poet with the nom de plume Gulchin. He was born into a religious family in Tehran. Having completed his education, he found an employment at the Ministry of Justice in 1934 and was later transferred to the General Administration of Real Estate Registration. Having held different government offices for a period of 26 years, he retired in 1963. He worked part time at the Malik National Library from 1951 and was transferred to the Majlis Library in 1959 and after four years was invited by the Director General of the Astan-i Quds-i Razawi to prepare a catalogue of manuscripts preserved there. He served as a librarian and cultural advisor in Mashhad and prepared a five volume catalogue of the library manuscripts. He was invited by the University of Mashhad to teach at the PhD program for Persian language and literature.

Gulchin composed poetry at the age of 13 and contributed his poetry to Nasim-i Shumal and Tawfiq newspapers from the age of 15. He associated with Amiri Firuz Kuhi and Rahi Mu’ayyiri. He joined the Hakim Nizami Literary Association in 1935 and collaborated with Wahid Dastgirdi. Where, besides reciting poems, they worked on an edition of Nizami’s Khamsa and Gulchin learned disciplines of poetry from masters. Following the demise of Wahid, he strove to establish Iran’s Literary Association at the home of Muhammad ‘Ali Nasih. Upon the establishment of the Farhangistan Literary Association by Husayn Sami’i (Adib al-Saltana) in 1946, Gulchin was elected as the Secretary General and the Director of the Secretariat. He contributed his articles on literary, historical, and bibliographical topics to different periodicals, like Armaghan, Mihr, Danish, Yaghma, Wahid, Gawhar, Farhang-i Iran Zamin, Hunar wa Mardum, Sipahan, and Rahnama-yi Kitab. A talented and vigorous poet, he had mastery of composing poetry in all genre. He won the prize of Sangtarash-i Zhapuni (The Japanese Stone Mason), held by the Ittila’at monthly. He also skillfully composed political, satirical, and critical poetry and contributed his poetry with the noms de plume Simurgh, Sijaf, Ash’ar al-Mamalik, Sha’irbashi, Lajbaz, Nawcha, Sariq-i Diwan, Bachcha Maktabi, Yaqnali, Gul Aqa, Shaykhaki, A.G. to Qiyam-i Iran, Baba Shamal, Tawfiq, Umid, Sida-yi Iran, Mulla Nasr al-Din, Ufuq, ‘Ali Baba, and Didaban. His works include: Gulzar-i Ma’ani; a critical edition of Gulshan-i Raz and its commentaries; Shahrashub dar Shi’ir-i Farsi; Tarikh-i Tadhkiraha-yi Farsi (2 vols.); Tadhkira-yi Paymana; Tadhkira-yi Karawan-i Hind (2 vols.); Risala dar Ahwal-i Al-i Banjir; Maktab-i Wuqu’ dar Shi’ir-i Farsi; edition and supplementation of Tadhkira-yi Maykhana by ‘Abd al-Nabi Fakhr al-Zamani Qazwini; edition of Lata’if al-Tawa’if; Rahnama-yi Ganjina-yi Qur’an; Farhang-i Ash’ar-i Sa’ib; Divan of poetry. He also published the following books: Tarikh-i Mullazada; Ahamd ibn Mahmud Bukhari’s Dhikr-i Mazarat-i Bukhara; Kunuz al-Asrar wa Rumuz al-Asrar; a versified commentary on al-Sawanih fi ‘l-‘Ishq by Ahmad Ghazali; Fihrist-i Majmu’aha-yi Khatti-yi Kitabkhana-yi Majlis (Catalogue of the Manuscript Collections at the Library of Majlis); Cataloguing some of the manuscripts at the Library of ‘Abd al-Husayn Bayat.

Asar-afarinan (5/ 79); Sukhanwaran-i Nami-yi Mu’asir-i Iran (5/ 3053-3059).