Visal-i Shirazi

Visal Shirazi, Mirza Muhammad Shafi’ (1782-1845), son of Muhammad Isma’il. Scholar, litterateur, poet, mystic, and calligrapher, bearing the sobricate Abu Ahmad, well-known as Mirza Kuchak. He was a versatile artist who born in Shiraz. Some members of his family had held administrative offices under the Safavids, the Afsharids, and the Zands and he was a distinguished scholar, belletrist, and artist flourishing under the Qajar Fath’ali Shah and Muhammad Shah. He took up his studies early in youth and as he was of a mystical turn of mind, he became a disciple of Sufi Shaykhs, particularly Mirza Abu al-Qasim Sukut. He had mastery of the seven calligraphic scripts and was a distinguished calligrapher write an exquisite naskh and nasta’liq hands. His students of the nasta’liq script included Mirza Fath’ali Hijab Shirazi. His poetical renown is indebted to his mystical ghazals and passionate elegies composed on the model of Muhtasham Kashani. He also composed eulogies to the Qajar kings and the notables of Shiraz. It was after his acquaintance with Mirza Abu al-Qasim Sukut that he changed his nom de plume from Mahjur to Visal. Further, he had an appealing voice and he reportedly played the sitar. A master of painting, illumination, and book binding, he presented to Fath’ali Shah, in the latter’s visit to Shiraz, a copy of the Qur’an which he had written in seven calligraphic hands and had made a great display of his illumination and binding skills which was well-received by the king. His companions included Qa’ani Shirazi. He once departed for India, but changed his mind in Bushehr and returned to Shiraz. He lost his sight late in life and died in Shiraz and was laid to rest at the Shah Chiragh Shrine. His works include the mathnawi of Bazm-i Visal, in 7,000 couplets; completion of Vahshi Bafqi’s Farhad wa Shirin; a Persian translation of Atwaq al-Dhahab by Zamakhshari; Safina, a commentary on divine traditions (ahadith); Subh-i Visal, a literary prose work interspersed with poetry on the model of Sa’di’s Gulistan; and divan of poetry.

Asar-afarinan (6/ 110-111); Az Saba ta Nima (1/ 40-44); Danishmandan wa Sukhansarayan-i Fars (5/ 803-812).