The Refutation of An Appraisal based of Sanai's Semiology

Abstract

Modarres Razavi in Hadiqat al Haqiqa annotations, under "Drunken Camel in the Desert" anecdote has noted that from his viewpoint Sanai’s statements about “camel” reveal his mistranslation or misunderstanding of the anecdote’s original source, i.e. Ibn- al- Muqaffa's Kalīlah and Dimnah. In the original anecdote in Mahabharata and Kalīlah and Dimnah, this word has been recorded as “ifil”. Hence, it is probable that Sanai has mistakenly translated this word as “underage camel”. However, what can be realized from animal semiology in Sanai's thoughts is that he has selected “camel” symbol deliberately and consciously. On this basis, in this paper we propose four duly-substantiated reasons for “Sanai's deliberate selection” hypothesis taking into consideration Sanai’s dream interpretation in Hadiqa; the national symbolic tradition used in narrating Esfandiar expedition to Zabulistan, the climatic and geographical evidence in Hadiqa anecdotes, and the allegorical narrative of "the Affair of the Elephant" in Sanai’s Hadiqa.

Keywords

• hadiqa
• sanai
• symbolism
• drunken camel in the desert anecdote