متن شناسی ادب فارسی (Sep 2024)
Criticism of the New Edition of Tarikh-e Bayhaghi Corrected by Yahagghi and Seyyedi
Abstract
Tarikh-e Beyhaghi (Beyhaghi’s History) is a seminal work in Persian literature and historiography. Fayyaz dedicated his life to correcting and improving this text. In 2009, a revised edition of the work edited by Yahagghi and Seyyedi was published. The primary advantage of this new edition was the detailed introduction, annotations, and supplementary materials, which greatly facilitated the work of readers and researchers. However, the editors had made numerous unjustified interventions in the text, to the extent that this benefit was largely overshadowed by the distortion of the original work of such great significance. It was anticipated that after more than a decade since the initial publication and appearance of numerous scholarly articles on the topic, many of the problems would have been addressed in the new edition. Regrettably, the 2022 edition, which claimed to incorporate "complete revision, additions, and corrections", failed to live up to these expectations as only a few of the numerous issues were rectified. Due to the impracticality of addressing all the flaws of this editorial effort in a single article, the present work examined select problems under the following headings: "Departure from the normative contextual meaning", "Disregard for Bayhaghi's stylistic features", "Ignoring the frequency of evidence", "Unjustified textual changes", "Unsupported readings of the text", and "Neglect of literary sensibilities in text correction". Keywords: Criticism, New Edition, Tarikh-e Beyhaghi, Correction, Yahagghi and Seyyedi. Introduction The study and correction of the text of Tarikh-e Beyhaghi (Bayhaghi's History) is an ongoing scholarly endeavor. In 2018, a revised edition of this seminal work edited by Yahagghi and Seyyedi was published. The primary advantage of this new edition was its detailed introduction, annotations, and supplementary materials, which promised to greatly facilitate the work of readers and researchers. However, despite the editors' efforts, this revision had fallen short of expectations. In fact, many clear and well-established expressions in the original text had been altered in a manner that was incongruent with the stylistic and semantic norms of Tarikh-e Beyhaghi. Regrettably, the 2022 re-edition of the work, which claimed to incorporate "complete revision, additions, and corrections", had also failed to address these issues satisfactorily. This article aimed to provide a critical assessment of this editorial endeavor, examining the problems and shortcomings in the revised versions of Tarikh-e Beyhaghi. Materials & Methods This study employed a descriptive-analytical research approach. First, the text of Tarikh-e Beyhaghi was carefully examined and its semantic context and relevant stylistic norms were identified. The revised editions were then evaluated against these established textual and contextual criteria. Through this analysis, numerous instances of non-compliance between the editorial changes and the normative textual features of Tarikh-e Beyhaghi were identified. From these problematic cases, the present work selected and examined representative examples, drawing on evidence from the original Tarikh-e Beyhaghi to demonstrate the inaccuracy of the editorial interventions. Research Findings The analysis of the revised editions of Tarikh-e Beyhaghi, particularly the 2018 version edited by Yahagghi and Seyyedi, revealed several significant problems with the editorial approach and the quality of the corrections made. Failure to Adhere to Semantic and Stylistic Norms The most prominent issue identified was the editors' disregard for the semantic and stylistic conventions that were deeply embedded in Tarikh-e Beyhaghi. The study found numerous instances where the revised text departed from the narrative logic and meaning conveyed in the original work. Additionally, the editors had failed to preserve the distinctive stylistic features that had made Bayhaghi's chronicle unique among historical writings of the period. Neglect of Signature Textual Elements Another key problem was the editors' lack of attention to the recurring textual elements that could be considered Bayhaghi's idiomatic or signature expressions. These characteristic phrasings and constructions, which had become almost emblematic of the author's voice, had been overlooked or altered in the revised editions. Arbitrary Changes Lacking Justification The analysis also identified numerous instances where the editors had made changes to individual words or short passages without providing adequate explanations or evidence from the original text to justify such alterations. These arbitrary modifications had undermined the integrity of the revised edition and its fidelity to Bayhaghi's original work. Misreadings and Disruption of Meaning In some cases, the study found that the editors' interventions had led to misreadings of the text, resulting in interpretations that were incongruous with the overall meaning and logic of Tarikh-e Beyhaghi. These misreadings contributed to a loss of coherence and persuasiveness in the revised versions. Insufficient Consideration of Literary Sensibilities The findings suggested that the editorial process had not given sufficient weight to the role of literary aesthetics and sensibilities in the correction of a work like Tarikh-e Beyhaghi, which was renowned for its sophisticated use of language and rhetorical devices. Overall, the critical assessment of the revised editions indicated that some of the most fundamental criteria for a rigorous and comprehensive editorial approach had been overlooked, undermining the reliability and scholarly value of the corrections made to this seminal historical work. Discussion of Results & Conclusion If we were to exhaustively document all the instances of deviation from rigorous editorial norms in Yahagghi and Seyyedi's revision of Tarikh-e Beyhaghi, the present article would be prohibitively lengthy. Therefore, we selected and highlighted the most salient problems observed in this editorial work. The primary shortcomings identified included: Failure to adhere to the semantic norms of the original text, resulting in disruptions to the narrative logic and substantive meaning Disregard for the distinctive stylistic features that had made Tarikh-e Beyhaghi unique among works from the same era and surrounding periods Neglect of the recurring textual elements that could be considered Bayhaghi's signature "slogans" or idioms Arbitrary changes to words or phrases without providing adequate explanations or justifications grounded in evidence from the original work Misreadings of the text that undermined the coherence and persuasiveness of the meaning Insufficient consideration for the role of literary sensibilities in the process of textual correction Undertaking the correction of an acclaimed and influential work like Tarikh-e Beyhaghi required a multifaceted expertise and application of rigorous scholarly tools. Given the venerated status of this historical chronicle, it was reasonable to expect the highest standards of care and caution in the preparation of an authoritative edition. Based on a critical examination of the latest revision by Yahagghi and Seyyedi, it appeared that some of the most essential criteria for a robust and comprehensive editorial approach had been overlooked. The differences observed in this new edition often mirrored the variants previously deemed unsuitable by the esteemed scholar Fayyaz, who had relegated them to the footnotes. It is the hope of the present author that this critical analysis may prompt greater accuracy and diligence among editors tasked with the correction of Persian literature's most valuable texts. Additionally, it is hoped that this work may serve as an impetus for the revisitors of Tarikh-e Beyhaghi to re-evaluate their editorial decisions and strive for a more faithful and scholarly rendering of this seminal historical work.
Keywords
