Journal of the stylistic of Persian poem and prose
volume Number 19، number In Volume 8، November 2026 ، issue Number 126

Analysis of the Stylistic Features of the Narrative Poem Āsmān-e Hashtom by Mīr Muḥammad Amīn (Rūḥ al-Amīn) Shahrestānī Isfahānī

Noraste Baghban Moshiri , Mohammad Reza Sarfi (Author in Charge), Hamidreza Kharazmi

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Mir Mohammad Amin Shahrestani Esfahani, known by the pen name Ruh al-Amin and commonly referred to as Mir-Jomla (981–1047 AH), was a prominent composer of masnavis in the Safavid period. Influenced by the narrative tradition of Nezami Ganjavi, he composed Asman-e Hashtom (Bahram-nama). Despite the significance of this work, its stylistic features have not yet been examined independently and comprehensively. This study seeks to elucidate Ruh al-Amin’s poetic style by examining the linguistic, literary, figurative, musical, and intellectual features of the work.

METHODOLOGY: This theoretical study employs a descriptive-analytical method based on library research. The corpus of the study comprises the text of Asman-e Hashtom, or Bahram-nama, edited on the basis of the extant manuscripts bearing the shelf marks 4151 at the University of Tehran and 8990 at the Library of the Islamic Consultative Assembly. The work was published through the efforts of the Islamic Manuscripts and Documents Research Center of Qom and the University of Bonn, under the supervision of Eva Ortmann and Mohammad Karimi Zanjani Asl.

FINDINGS: The findings indicate that prominent features of the stylistic structure of the poem include its rich imagery, the creation of novel compounds, the high frequency of rhetorical figures, the extensive use of the musical capacities of poetry, lexical diversity, and the reflection of ethical, mystical, and religious themes. Furthermore, features such as thematic innovation, subtlety of thought, novel similes and metaphors, and intricate thematic constructions reveal the influence of the Indian Style (Sabk-e Hendi) on the poem.

CONCLUSION: Although Ruh al-Amin drew upon Nezami’s tradition of masnavi composition, he achieved an independent style and mode of expression through linguistic, figurative, and intellectual innovations. In this way, Asman-e Hashtom occupies a distinctive position in the tradition of masnavi composition during the Safavid period.

Keyword
Ruh al-Amin Esfahani , Asman-e Hashtom , stylistic features , Indian Style (Sabk-e Hendi)