THE ALISHER NAVOI REFERENCE BIBLIOGRAPHY
        Compiled by Prof. Suima Ganieva

1. Badoe ul-vasat - The third devon (a complete collection of poems) of Navoi`s lyric heritage "Hazoin-ul-maoniy". It consists of 650 ghazals, 1 mustazod, 2 muxammas, 2 musaddas, 1 tarjeband, 1 kasida (an ode - triumphal poem praising a person or event), 60 kitaas, 10 chistons, 3 tuyuks. Total number is - 740 poems - 5420 couplets, compiled between 1492-1498 years.
   
2. Vakviya - Alisher Navoi wrote it in 1481. This is a documentary work by 'Foni' but it also depicted the poet's life, spiritual world, his dreams and unfulfilled desires. The work is an important source to learn economical, social and cultural life in XV century.
   
3. Layli and Majnun - The third dastan (epic poem) of "Hamsa" ("Quintet", a group of five dastans). It is about a man mad with love. It was written in 1484 and consists of 3622 couplets and 36 chapters.
   
4. Lison-ut Tayr ( The Language of the Birds ) - An epic poem that is an allegory for our need to seek God, whatever our excuses may be. The story begins with the birds of the world realizing that they are far from their king and need to seek him. They begin the long and hard journey with many complaints, but a wise bird encourages them through admonishment and exemplary stories. It was written in 1498-99, and consists of 3598 couplets. In the introduction Navoi noted he wrote this epic poem as a response to "Mantiq-ut Tayr" by Fariduddin Attar and used the pseudonym "Foniy".
   The English translation, including 12 beautiful minatures will be published Summer 2006 by Fons Vitae! It will be the premiere English publication of a major Alisher Navoi work.  
   
5. Majolis un-nafois - is Navoi`s tazkira (anthology). Written in 1491-92, completed with additions in 1498. It consists of eight meeting reports, tells about contemporary poets, especially major contemporary ones. Overall, Navoi provides information about 459 poets and authors. The work was translated three times and again into Persian in XVI century . Translated into Russian - volume nine.
   
6. Mahbub ul-kulub - Alisher Navoi`s work written in 1500 - the last year before his death. Here the poet's extremely rich experience and conclusions are collected into one work. It consists of an introduction and three parts. The first part is about status and the duty of different social classes; the second part is about moral matters; the third part provides useful advice and wise sayings. Translated into Russian - volume ten.
   
7. Mezon ul-avzon - Navoi`s work about Persian and Turkic aruz. It was created in 1490.
   
8. Minhoj un-najot (The ways of salvation) - The fifth poem of the Persian triumphal poems collection "Sittai zaruriya" (6 necessities). It consists of 138 couplets. It was written in response to Khokoni and Ansori's triumphal poems.
   
9. Munojot - is a work written by Navoi in the last years of his life. It is a small work about pleading and repenting before Allah. The poet's unfulfilled dreams and regrets connected to epoch and environment, anxiety in his spirit is depicted dependently with incomplete surrounding. The work is written in prose with saaj. Translated it into Russian and English (1990).
   
   Free English download coming soon!
   
10. Munshaot ( A Collection of Letters ) - A collection of letters of Navoi written to different classes of people about various kinds of matters. There are also letters addressed to Navoi in this collection. It was collected in 1498-99. The work contains details about Khusain Baykaro, Badiuzzamon Mirzo and the letters addressed to his adopted son and letters expressing his dreams about doing the pilgrimage to Ka`bah. This work gives valuable facts about political, social, moral and spiritual matters for the common person.
    
11. Mufradot - Navoi`s work about how to do problem-solving. The ways of making and solving of 121 problems are depicted in this work . There are 52 problems in Chagatay in the Hazoin-ul-maoni section and 500 problems in Persian in Devoni Foni section. The work was written in 1485, a presentation of various views and styles of problems (48) is given.
    
12. Muhokamat-ul-lugatain - Navoi presents the contexts, the vocabulary and other possibilities that bode well for the fiction/poetic work of Turkic over the Persian language. Included are details about poets who write in both languages. This work by Navoi proves how he struggled for a national language and a national literature. It was written in 1499.
    
13. Navodir ush-shabob ( The Valuables of Youth ) - Navoi`s second devon (complete collection of poems) and includes Hazoin-ul-maoniy . It contains 650 ghazals, 1 mustazod, 3 muhammas, 1 musaddas, 1 tarjeband, 1 tarkibband, 50 kit`as, and 52 problems. Total number is: 759 poems and 5423.5 couplets. It was formed 1492-1498.
    
14. Nazm ul-javohir - In 1485 Navoi wrote this work in appreciation of Khusain Baykaro's Risola . The meaning of every proverb in Hazrat Ali's collection of proverbs entitled Nasr ul-laoliy is told in one rubaiy. The creation and purpose of the work is given in the preface.
    
15. Nasim ul-huld - Navoi`s kasida (ode) written in Persian under the influence of Khokoni and Khisrav Dehlavi's kasidas. Early Russian Navoi expert E. Bertels wrote that it was a response to Jomi`s Jilo ur-ruh .
    
16. Risolai tiyr andohtan - In E. Bertels book Navoi he posits this work in the 22 nd place in his the list of 22 works by Navoi. The work (Risola) was inserted in Navoi`s non-completed "Kulliyot", which was published as a book in 1667-1670 and consisted of 17 works. Risola consists of three pages and seems to be a commentary on one of the hadiths. For the first time it was published in 1995 in magazine Tafakkur , ? ? in Uzbekistan .
    
17. Rukh ul-kuds (Holy Spirit) - The first kasida (ode) of Navoi`s collection of kasidas in Persian named "Sittai zaruriya". It consists of 132 couplets and is about divine love.
    
18. Sab`ai Sayyor (Travel Around the Planets) - The fourth dastan (epic poem) of "Hamsa" by Navoi. It is divided into 37 chapters and consists of 8005 lines. It was written in 1485.
    
19. Saddi Iskandari (The Wall of Alexander the Great) - The fifth dastan (epic poem) of "Hamsa" by Navoi. This masterpiece displays Navoi's view of governance. Alexander the Great conquers the world not for self-glory, but for protecting the people (world justice). Further study should provide some interesting findings for our post 9/11 world. It consists of 88 chapters and 7215 couplets. Written in 1485.
    
20. Siroj ul-muslimin (The Light of Muslim People) - Alisher Navoi`s work written in 1499. It gives the facts about the five pillars of Islam, Shari'at, the rule of faith, signs of God, responsibilities and the sunnats of namoz (the five daily prayers), purity, alms, fasting and the Hajj. The risola (pamphlet) was first published in Uzbekistan in 1992.
    
21. Tarixi muluki Ajam - Navoi`s work written in 1488 dedicated to outlining a history of the Shahs of Iran. The work describes the useful deeds of the Shahs done for their society and people, starting from Kayumars to Yazdijurd Shahriyor that belonged to four classes ( dynasties ).
    
22. Tuhfat ul-afkor - Navoi`s kasida (ode) in Persian written as a respond to "Daryoi abror" by Khusrav Dehlavi. One of the six kasidas named "Sittai zaruriya". While writing this work he also was influenced by Jomi's kasida "Lujjat ul-asror", which he wrote as a respond to Khusravs.
    
23. Favoid ul-kibar (The Usefulness of Old Age) - The fourth divon (complete collection of poems) of "Hazoin ul-maoniy" by Navoi. It consists of 650 ghazals, one mustazod, two muxammas, one musaddas, one musamman, one tarje`band, one sokiynoma, 50 kit`a, 80 fard, 793 poems, 5888.5 couplets. Written 1492-1498.
    
24. Farhod va Shirin (Farhad and Shirin) - The second epic poem of "Hamsa" by Navoi. A classic Romeo and Juliet story for Central Asians. Divided into 59 chapters, 5782 couplets. Written in 1484.
    
25. Fusuli arba`a (Four seasons) - The common name of four kasidas (odes) written in Persian by Navoi. Each Kasidas is about one of the four seasons - Spring (57 couplets), Hottest part of Summer (71 couplets), Autumn (35 couplets), and Winter (70 couplets).
    
26. Hazoin ul-maoniy - The common name of the four divons (complete collection of poems) that include completed lyrical poems by Navoi. "Hazoin ul-maoniy" consists of 2600 ghazals, four mustazods, ten muxammas', four tarje`bands, one tarkibband, one masnaviy (a poetic letter to Sayyid Khsan), one kasida, one sokiynoma, 210 kit`as, 133 rubaiy's, 52 muammos, ten chistons, 12 tuyuks, 26 fards, 3132 poems - 22450, 5 couplets (44901 misra's (poetry couplet ). The work was finished in 1498. In this collection 16 different lyrical genres are presented.
    
27. Hamsa - The common name of five dastans (epic poem) by Navoi written in 1483-85. With this work Navoi established a precedent for quality literature in Chagatay . The dastans are:
    
    
    

    a.    "Hayrat ul-abror", 64 chapters, 3988 couplets. b.    "Farhad va Shirin", 59 chapters, 5782 couplets, written in 1484. c.    "Layli va Majnun", 36 chapters, 3622 couplets. d.    "Sab`ai sayyor", 37 chapters, 8008 couplets, written in 1485 e.    "Saddi Iskandari", 83 chapters, 7215 couplets, written in 1485. Ashraf, a poet from Khirat (died in 1450-51) wrote a "Hamsa" as well. His work included the dastans - "Minhoj ul-abror", "Haft avrang", "Riyoz ul-oshikin", "Ishknoma". The last dastan about Iskandar hadn`t been completed.

    
    
28. Hamsat ul-mutaxayyirin - Alisher Navoi`s work about Abdurahmon Jomi written in 1494. It contains an introduction, three parts and a conclusion. In the introduction Jomi`s genealogy, his birth, upbringing, studies, his becoming a scientist and poet is explained. The first part tells about Jomi's spiritual world, and his talks concerning creative works; the second part reveals the nearness between Navoi and Jomi in creative colloborations, talks and invitations to works relating to Sufism. The conclusion sheds light on Jomi`s death. It includes Navoi`s eulogy written in Persian that consists of seven sections of ten lines.
    
29. Garoyib us-sigar - The first divon (complete collection of poems) of "Hazoin ul-maoniy" by Navoi. It consists of 650 ghazals, one mustazod, three muhammas, one musaddas, one tarje`band, one masnaviy, 50 kit`as, 133 ruboiys. 840 poems - 5718,5 couplets (11.437 misra). It was compiled 1492-1498.
    
30. Hayrat ul-abror - The first dastan (epic poem) of "Hamsa" by Navoi. It's divided into 64 chapters, and has 3988 couplets. Written in 1483.