Original Ottoman Turkish Text

Zi han kim 'âlemi itdi münevver
Ki anuñ tâli'-i sa'di musavver
Virânlar ma'mûr olur makdeminden
Yüzin gören halâs olur o gamdan
Bu hanuñ devleti dâyimâ a'lâ
Bunuñ kısmetidür her hayr ola
Bu âlüñdür kıyâmetde fazîlet
Bu hanuñ mahkûmıdur cümle millet
İlâhî bu âl üzre tâ kıyâmet
İre lütf u 'inâyetüñ hidâyet

In English

1. How fine a khan, who lit up the world; whose happy fortune has been (plainly) portrayed.

2. Ruins are made to flourish at his coming; whoever sees his face is freed from that grief.

3. This khan's fortune is ever exalted; it is his lot that every good should come to be.

4. At the Resurrection excellence belongs to this line; all nations are under this khan's rule.

5. O God, until the Resurrection may Your grace, Your favour and Your guidance reach this line.

Literary and Historical Commentary

The Fortress Is Yours to Plunder

On the road to Negroponte (Igrıboz), in the hundred and forty-third chapter, Mahmud Paşa has been given the sancak of Gallipoli and ships; the sovereign marches by land crying "Intent of holy war", and Mahmud Paşa goes by sea. A bridge is laid before Negroponte; the sovereign encamps on land, crosses the bridge and besieges it by land, while Mahmud Paşa besieges it by sea. Cannon are set up on every side and for days they fight with cannon and arrows. One day infidel ships appear on the face of the sea; they have come to help Negroponte. But when they see the fortress besieged by land and sea they stand amazed. Just then the sovereign orders: "Ho, gazis, hold back nothing, the fortress is yours to plunder." The gazis pour into the fortress, first from Mahmud Paşa's side, and the castle is taken. For three days, night and day, there is plunder; several fortresses round about are also seized. Negroponte becomes a province of one sancak; the churches are made mosques, the houses left by the infidels become the property of Muslims who come to settle, and a kadı and a governor are appointed. The author adds: "It too, from an abode of unbelief, became an abode of Islam." The date is 874 (1469-70).

A Prayer

The praise is built from images of light and of prospering: he has lit up the world, the happiness of his fortune is plain, ruins flourish at his coming, whoever sees his face is freed from grief. The third and fourth couplets extend the dynasty's fortune and excellence to the Resurrection: all nations are under this khan's rule. The last couplet is a prayer: may God's grace, favour and guidance reach this line until the Resurrection. Its form is unusual too: the first couplet rhymes within itself (münevver, musavver), and each of the following couplets carries its own rhyme (makdeminden and gamdan, a'lâ and ola, fazîlet and millet, kıyâmet and hidâyet). This shape brings it close to a mesnevi; the edition gives it as a single piece.

Bibliography

  • Âşık Paşazade, Osmanoğulları'nın Tarihi, ed. Kemal Yavuz, M. A. Yekta Saraç, Istanbul: K Kitaplığı, 2003, pp. 525-526 (transliterated text, bâb 143).