This is the poetical name of Mīr ‘Alā-u-d-daulah,* the author of the Taẕkiratu-sh-Shu‘arā which is the source from which this treatise has been compiled. It is superfluous to describe him and to quote his poems here even if it were not the case that the author is a poor judge of poetry and is ill qualified to make selec­tions. It is better that I should recount my own deficiencies than that I should leave it to be done by others. Most of the couplets which I have written in imitation of others will bear out what I say.