Amasyalı Ateş Ali Ağa demekle meşhûr bir sipâhi oğludur. Amasya ulemâsından ve hâssaten Müfessir Ahmed Efendi’den ahz-ı ulûm etdi. Hattât-ı meşhûr Hüseyin Efendi’den hutût-ı mütenevvi’ayı aldı. Ders-i âm olduğu esnâda mahkeme baş-kâtibi, ba’dehû Torumtay Medresesi müderrisi, birkaç defa Amasya nâibi olarak temâyüz etdi. 1017’de kitâbet ve niyâbetden azledilip sonra kasabâta kadı oldu. 1025 hudûdunda vefât eyledi. Âlim, kâtip, şâir, ta’lik-nüvîs bir hattât idi.
Abdî Efendi Tezkiresinde Âzerî’nin Âbî ile mulâtafe ve mufâharesine dâ’ir şu kıt’alarını yazıyor:
Âzerî
Dünyâ temeli benim özümdür
Bu kadrimi bilmeyen oguzdur
Nûrumdan olur cihân münevver
Yaklaşma ki sûretim yavuzdur
Âbî²
Ne kadar keskin olursa Âzer
Şiddetimle söyünür yakmaz olur
Yıldırım olsa da bâk eylemezem
Suya düşerse hemân çakmaz olur
In Modern English
He is the son of a sipahi known as Ateş Ali Ağa of Amasya. He acquired learning from the scholars of Amasya, especially from Müfessir Ahmed Efendi. He learned various kinds of script from the famous calligrapher Hüseyin Efendi. At the time he received the licence to teach (ders-i âm) he became chief clerk of the court, then müderris of the Torumtay Madrasa, and several times distinguished himself as deputy judge (nâib) of Amasya. In 1017 [1608-09] he was dismissed from the clerkship and the deputy judgeship and afterwards served as judge in small towns. He died around 1025 [1616-17]. He was a scholar, clerk, poet and a calligrapher who wrote the ta'lik script.
The Abdî Efendi Tezkiresi records the following quatrains of Âzerî concerning a contest of wit and boasting that he held with Âbî:
Âzerî
Dünyâ temeli benim özümdür
Bu kadrimi bilmeyen oguzdur
Nûrumdan olur cihân münevver
Yaklaşma ki sûretim yavuzdur
Âbî
Ne kadar keskin olursa Âzer
Şiddetimle söyünür yakmaz olur
Yıldırım olsa da bâk eylemezem
Suya düşerse hemân çakmaz olur
Meaning: Âzerî says: the foundation of the world is my essence; whoever does not know this worth of mine is an oguz. The world is lit by my light; do not come near, for my face is harsh and burning. Âbî answers: however sharp Âzer may be, it is quenched by my force and can no longer burn. Even if it were lightning I would not care; if it falls into water, it can immediately no longer strike a spark.
Notes and Research
Old Words in the Text
- sipâhi: a timar-holding cavalry soldier
- ahz-ı ulûm: acquiring learning
- hutût-ı mütenevvi'a: various kinds of script
- ders-i âm: a scholar who has received the licence to teach
- niyâbet: the post of deputy judge, standing in for the kadı
- nâib: the kadı's deputy
- temâyüz: standing out, coming to the fore
- kasabât: small settlements
- ta'lik-nüvîs: one who writes the ta'lik script
- mulâtafe, mufâharet: exchange of wit, a contest of boasting against one another
- kıt'a: a short poem
- münevver: lit, illuminated
The Play on Names in the Poem
The quatrains of Âzerî and Âbî are a poetic exchange built on names. Âzer is fire, âb is water; the fire boasts of its own power, while the water says that fire will be quenched and useless before it. This pair is two members of the foursome called "the four elements of literature". The meaning of the word "oguz" in the text is uncertain; from the context a coarse or unperceptive person seems to be meant. In a footnote in the edition, the editors state that the lines belonging to Âbî are on page 14 of the manuscript, but are shown here on page 13 because the author later added the entry Âzer Çelebi-Kılıçarslanoğlu in the margin.
Another Poet of the Same Name
There is another poet known in Divan literature under the pen name Âzerî: İbrâhim Çelebi (d. 1585), son of Muallimzâde Ahmed Efendi. He became a mülâzım under Ebüssuûd Efendi, served as judge in Tire and Kestel, and died while judge of Hama. He is known for his mesnevi called Nakş-ı Hayâl. This poet is not the same person as the Âzerî of Amasya whom Hüsameddin mentions: the father of the Âzerî of Amasya is a sipahi named Ateş Ali Ağa, and his death is around 1025 [1616-17]. The two names must not be confused.
It is understood that the Âzerî of Amasya served as müderris at the Torumtay Madrasa, that is, taught in one of the old madrasas of Amasya. No separate record was found about the calligrapher Hüseyin Efendi and Müfessir Ahmed Efendi.
Bibliography
Primary sources
- Abdîzâde Hüseyin Hüsâmeddîn Yasar, Amasya Tarihi, Amasya Belediyesi Kültür Yayınları, 2022, vol. 6, p. 14–14. amasya.bel.tr
- "Amasya Tarihindeki Şairler ve Merzifonlu İbrahim Cûdî Efendi'nin Bilinmeyen Bir Şiiri", academic article. https://www.academia.edu/63466698
Academic studies
Other sources