Hatefi | |
|---|---|
 Portrait of Hatefi byKamal ud-Din Behzad | |
| Born | 1454 |
| Died | 1521 (aged 66–67) Khargerd, Khorasan,Safavid Iran |
| Occupation | Poet |
| Notable works | Timurnama Khamsa of Hatefi |
| Relatives | Jami (uncle) |
Abd-Allah Hatefi, commonly known asHatefi (also spelledHatifi;Persian:هاتفی; 1454 – 1521) was aPersian poet and nephew of the distinguished poetJami (died 1492).[1]
Hatefi was born in 1454 inKhar Gerd, a village that formed a district of the townTorbat-e Jam, which was in turn a dependency of theKhwarezmian city ofHerat. Hatefi's mother was a sister of the distinguished poetJami (died 1492). Unlike hisSunni uncle, Hatefi was aTwelver Shi'a.[1][2] Jami spent most of his whole life in his hometown, where he served as the custodian of the mausoleum of the Timurid-era poetQasim-i Anvar. Hatefi became part of the literary elite after prevailing in a test set up by Jami. In the late 15th century, Hatefi travelled alongside fellow poet Amir Homayun Esfaraini toIranian Azerbaijan andLower Mesopotamia.[1] Between 1485 and 1490, Hatefi stayed at the court of theAq Qoyunlu rulerYa'qub Beg (r. 1478–1490) inTabriz in northwestern Iran.[3]
Because he was a Shi'a, Hatefi was respected by theSafavid emperorIsmail I (r. 1501–1524), who had conquered Khorasan in 1510. Hatefi later acted as a mediator for the Sunni population of Jam, who were seen negatively by the emperor.[1] Ismail, who sought to associate himself with Persian literature, requested Hatefi to write a historical epic similar to that of his previousTimurnama (also known as theZafurnama), a biography of theTurco-Mongol rulerTimur (r. 1370–1405).[4]
Hatefi died in 1521 in Khar Gerd and was buried in his former garden.[1]
Hatefi composed poetry in several genres, but he is known above all for hisKhamsa "Pentalogue". Modelled after previous pentologues of Persian literature, including those ofNizami Ganjavi, hisKhamsa became famous even outside ofIran. Lami'i Chelebi produced anOttoman Turkish translation of his work, and the several editions of hisKhamsa from theOttoman Empire and inIndia are proof of his widespread fame. Hatefi's literary fame rests on his realistic and straightforward style.[1] He displayed remarkable originality in handling his stories with his style often emulated by later poets.[1] Four of his works in hisKhamsa have been published thus far.
The five works which are comprised by hisKhamsa are:
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