Original Ottoman Turkish Text

Metre: Fe‘ilâtün fe‘ilâtün fe‘ilâtün fe‘ilün

Vaṣf-ı câm-ı mey ider kimi kimi ẕikr-i ḥabîb
Sevdigin herkes ider râ’s-i süḫanda teşbîb
‘Âşıḳ-ı ṣâdıḳıyam bende o faḫr-i resulüñ
Medḥ-i şer‘iyle kelâma virürem zeyn ü zîb
Oluram şimdi ṣafâ-baḫşı derûn-ı ‘uşşâḳ
Sâz u ṣafiyle ḳılup gûş ḳulûb-ı muṭrîb
Ḥabbezâ şer‘-i ḳavî uss-ı reṣîṣu’l-erkân
Tâ ṭura saḳf-ı semâ hergiz olınmaz taḳlîb
Merḥabâ dîn-i hidâyetde gümrâh-ı enâm
Kim odur bedriḳa-i kâr-ı sefer yevm-i ‘aṣîb
Ben nice menḳabe-ḫᵛân olmayam ol dîne k’ola
Pâdişâhâ ne şeref ḫıdmet-i pâkiyle naṣîb
Tâ ḳıyâmet ider evṣâfını dâ’im iḫbâr
Ṣavt-ı a‘lâ-yı müeẕẕin leb-i inşâ-yı ḫaṭîb
Ḥabbene cennet ü baġżîne cehennem pâdâş
Naṣrına ‘izzet ider hedmine ẕillet-i ta‘ḳîb
Oldurur bâ‘iẟ-i ma‘mûre-i mülk-i ‘âlem
Olmasa bir dem ider dest-i ḥavâdiẟ taḫrîb
Oldurur mihr-i żiyâ-pâşı feżâ-yı âfâḳ
Oldurur nehr-i nemâ-baḫş-ı çerâzâr-ı ‘aẟîb
Hem odur tâb-deh-i encüm-i zehrâ-yı felek
Hem odur âb-deh-i mezra‘-ı ġabrâ-yı raḥîb
Sâlik-i ‘aḳla odur bedriḳa-i semt-i reşâd
Yitse ol aḳl ḳalur yine ḍalâletde ġarîb
Dâmen-i kâra odur genc-i güher-pâş-ı necât
Bulmayan anı ḳalur müflis ü maḥzûn u keẟîb
Bul anıñ ḫâzinen evvel diyeyin saña anı
Bir şefî‘-i güneh-i ‘arṣageh-i yevm-i ‘aṣîb
Sâlik-i râh-ı felek mâlik-i aḫlâḳ-ı mülk
Vâṣıl-ı rütbe-i maḥbûbi-yi ḫallâḳ-ı ḥasîb
Bâdî-yi ḫilḳat-i gül hâdî-yi şehrâh-ı sübül
Ḫażret-i faḫr-i resul Aḥmed ü Muḫtâr u Ḥabîb
Ġavṭa-ḫᵛârâna yem-i cürmi iderdi dâ’im
Ḥaḳḳa terġîb vere küfr ü cehilden ter‘îb
Ṭurra-i ḫulḳına dilbeste olup cünd-i ḳulûb
Oldılar cân u dil ile reh-i ḥifẓetde raḳîb
Çün ḳıyâm itdi cihâda o şeh-i ‘âlem-gîr
İtdi şüc‘ân-ı ‘Arap anı serâpâ ta‘ṣîb
Ḳavsı çekdi yanına tîr-i ġulâm-ı terkeş
Oldılar cümle muṭî‘ emrine şâyânla şîb
İtdi ‘acmâ vü cemâdâta sirâyet ‘aşḳı
Derd-i hicriyle sütûn itdi ḥanîn-nâḳa taḥsîb
Ser-fürû hişte ṭurup ḫıdmete bil baġladı seyf
Ḳavs idüp ḳaddini ḫam-geşte bir ây-ı terḥîb
Ṭoġrulup geldi hemânâ per açup ḫıdmete tîr
Pîşine düşdi idüp ḳulluġın oldı maṣîb
Oldı ḫâkister-i kânûn-‘adem-ḫâne-i şirk
Bâd-ı ‘azmi idicek nâr-ı cihâdı teẟḳîb
Taḳviyet virdi aña çâr ḫalife ile Ḫudâ
Çâr rücbe ile idüp naḫle-i dîni tercîb
Uss-ı şer‘ üzre idüp ẟâbit o çâr erkânı
Saḳf-ı İslâmı refî‘ itdi Ḫudâvend-i mucîb
Sell-i seyf eylediler ‘aşḳ-ı resûl ile hemân
Ellerin ḫûn-ı şehâdetle idüp cümle ḫażîb
Binse kürsû-yı ‘adûya o ḥabîb-i ‘izzet
Esb-i tâziyle iderlerdi bile ‘adv ü ḫabîb
İtseler siper-i ḫamzâr-ı ṣafâ ḳaṣdın eger
Dillerin seyr-i cihâd ile iderlerdi ṭarîb
Dirler idi ne ṣafâ gülşenidir ma‘reke-gâh
Eyleyüp alet-i hecâyı serâpâ tertîp
Sebzesi tîġ u teber sûseni şekl-i ḥancer
Gülleri cürm-i siper serd-i sehî rümḥ ü ḳażîb
Ġonca-i gülbüni zaḫm-ı ser-i aṣḥâb-ı cihâd
Lâle-i gülşeni âlûde-be-ḫûn kef-i ḫażîb
Rümh-i ser-sûde be-ḫûn üzre o bâzû-yi ġuzât
Baḳ semen lâleye ṣarmışdı zihî ṭarz-ı ġarîb
Nâb-ı nîzeyle luḥûm-ı reme-i küffârı
İtdiler şîr-i nihâdân-ı ṣiḥâbı tenyîb
Âb-ı tîġ âteş-i cerîle binâ-yı küfrüñ
Ber-hevâ eylediler ḫâkini ba‘de’l-taḫrîb
Oldı gülzâr-ı ‘adûlâna ‘azâbü’l-beyne
Naġme-perdâzı bülbül yerini ṭutdı na‘îb
Fülk-i İslâm çıḳup sâḥile küfr oldı ġarîḳ
Çün nesîm-i ẓafer ü nuṣret-i fetḥ itdi hebîb
Âb-ı tîġiyle olup naḫl-i şerî‘at şâdâb
Bâġ-ı dîn buldı kemâl üzre ‘aceb ziynet ü zîb
Çâr imâmı raḥimu’llâhu ‘aleyhim ebedâ
Bâġbân itdi o gülzâra Ḫudâvend-i raḳîb
Menba‘-ı dilden idüp cûy-ı ḳıyâs istinbâṭ
Virdiler gülşen-i şer‘e gül-i aḥkâmla zîb
Elde misbâr-ı sebir-kâs ise pür-mâ-i uṣûl
Yâre-i müşkile-i sâ’ile her biri ṭabîb
Pes gelüp ḫâne-i dîne niçe mi‘mâr-ı kemâl
İtdiler cümlesi tafṣîl ile anı tebvîb
Fihris-i bâb u kitâb siyeh ü şerḥ-i keteb
Câ-be-câ lâle benefşeyle olındı tertîb
İdüp eczâ-yı müfârîd-i eḳâvili cem‘
Ḳıldılar dürc-i muṭâvî ketebede terkîb
Ḫastegân-ı maraż-ı hâ’il-i cehle olalar
Tâ ki dârû-yı şifâ-baḫşı cevâbile ṭabîb
Çekdiler silk-i mütûna yed-i taḥkîḳle hem
Dürr-i âḥkâma virüp ṣoñra bir özge tertîb
Tâ bula ‘aḳd-i leṭâfetle neḥûr-ı ma‘nî
Çeşm-i ‘uşşâḳda bir gûne daḫi ziynet ü zîb
İctihâd ile idüp ca‘be-i fikri ḫâlî
Oldı ḫâṭṭı ḳad-i mâden kimi kimisi muṣîb
Lîk ṣoñra gelen i‘lâm-ı kibâr-ı ‘ulemâ
İtdiler ḳavl-i aṣaḥla ‘ameli hep taṣvîb
Ṣad pend eylediler cümleyi żabṭ u tercî‘
‘Ahd-i aṣḥâba dikilen çü selef öyle ḳarîb
Eyleyüp nuḫbe-i aḳvâl-i selefle iftâ
Ḳıldılar nüsḫa-i a‘mâlini nâsıñ tehdîb
İsteyen semt-i necâtı aña olsun sâlik
Ṣad şükr oldı nümâyende bu şehrâh-ı reḥîb
Dönüp evrâḳ-ı keteb hemçü şirâ‘-ı bâdâs
Nerm olur toḫm-ı ‘inâd-ı ḥuṣemâ hemçü ḥalîb
Ṭartılur şâh ile yeksânca faḳîrân anda
Bend-i ra‘dle Ḥaḳ itdi anı mizâne ‘acîb
Vaż‘ idüp çârsu-yı dehre miḥek-i şer‘î
Her şeyiñ ḳadrini bildirdi Ḫudâvend-i ḥabîb
Neyl-i şer‘îyle şeref bulsa n’ola mıṣr-ı cihân
K’oldı miḳyâsı o neyliñ ḳalem-i dest-i lebîb
Fâżıl-ı dehr ü ser-ifrâr-ı meşâhîr-i cihân
‘Âlem ü bâri‘ vü deryâ dil ü nifâ‘ vü edîb
Melce-i müşk ile pürsân-ı ma‘âlîḳ-i şerî‘
Şeyḫü’l-İslâm-ı zamân fâżıl u niḥrîr ü lebîb
Öyle kâmil ki Felâṭûn daḫi gelseydi eger
Biñ sene mekteb-i irfânda iderdi te’dîb
Ḥiddet-i ṭab‘-ı vuḳûd yine yanar reşkinden
Nâr-ı ateş-gede üzre görinen ṣanma lehîb
Olsa ḥilmiyle güher-senc-i terâzû-yı vaḳâr
Ḥilm-i eḫaf ola hem-seng-i mülâşî vü deẟîb
Pîş-gâhında olur ḳuṭb ise de lerze nümâ
İtse ger cebhe-i pür-çîn ü ḳârîn taḳṭîb
Emr-i cârîsine ḫalḳı görüp ‘âlem râżı
Red olunmaz beli iḫsârda hiç mâ ile ṭîb
Virdiler luṭfuna ma‘nâ didiler neyl-i meẟâ
Virdiler ḳahrına ma‘nâ didiler yâs-ı naṣîb
Tâ ebed derbeder-i yetme helâk olur o kim
Şehr-i ḳalbinden anı eyleye bir kez taġrîb
Fâżılâ ḳadr-i şinâsâ yem-i luṭf ü germâ
İy iden nüsḫa-i ḫulḳını serâpâ tehẕîb
Rîkdân-ı felege rîk-i nücûmı pür idüp
Eyler aẟârıñı şevḳ ile ‘uṭârid tetrîb
Oldı ża‘fü’l-kebed-i ḫavfıñ ile mustaḳî
Âb-ı merkeble ḳanar ancaḳ ‘adû-yı şirrîb
Nüsḫa-i baḫtıña dîbâce olup levḥa-i mûr
Necm ü medâr-ı sa‘âdetdir aña bir tezhîb
Mihr-i ḳadriñ ki tenezzül ide seyr-i felege
Ey felek-rütbe ṭutar dâmenini kef-i ḫażîb
Eylemek ṭayy reh-i ṣaḥrâ-yı medîḥin heyhât
Etsek ey esb-i ṭabî‘at ne ḳadar ‘adû vü ḫabîb
Ṣaḥn-ı meydân-ı tefâḫürde idüp gerd-efşânî
Fârisân-ı hüneri eyleme ammâ terhîb
Ṣaddet-i ṭab‘ımı gördükde sipend oldı hemân
Ṣad fiġân ile penâh-âver-i damân-ı lehîb
Deffe-i dest ile ol mîş‘e cünbân-ı yerâ‘
Ḫᵛâcegân-ı hünere göstere bir nesc-i ġarîb
Bir de maṭla‘ ġazel-i ḫub ile ol zemzeme-sâz
Gûş iden sâmi‘ayı eylesin ammâ taṭrîb
Ḳıl muṭallâ iki yerde süḫanıñ destârıñ
Şehriyân eyler anı çün ser-i mecmû‘aya zîb
Ḳor mı bu ‘işveleriñ söyle ayâ ‘işve-firîb
Tende ser serde ḫıred sînede cân cânda şekîb
İtmese ḫande-i pinhân aña gül yüzlü ḥabîb
Dâmenin ṭutmaz idi ḫâr-ı nihâdân-ı raḳîb
Beñzemez hiç ẕeḳan-ı dilbere yorma çeñeni
Düşmüş aġızlara ḫâyîde güzîde bih ü sîb
Al pûşâ ruḫ u nühd ü zenaḫın gözinmiş
Nârvende iki nârenc iki nâr ve bir sîb
Ey cefâ-pîşe daḫi ḥâlime raḥm itme misin
Künc-i ġamda işidüp nâlemi raḥm itdi raḳîb
Sâḳiyâ bâde getür gitdi meded zâhid-i ḫuşk
Vaḳtidir eyleyelim şimdi dimâġı tertîb
Ṣubḥı ḫayr olsun o mengûş dimez gûşına hiç
Şâm-ı hicrinde ki aḥvâlim idüp bir teṣrîb
Fâżılâ sensin o ser-ḫayl-i gürûh-ı ‘ulemâ
Kim degil rütbeñe bir kimse cihân içre ḳarîb
Gitdi mâderle peder ḳaldı ġumûm-ı dünyâ
Bu yetîmi ḳoma luṭf eyle bu dehr içre ġarîb
Bâr-ı ġam eyledi ḫam ḳadimi çün pîrân
Bilmezem vaḳt-i şebâbım mı yaḫûd ‘ahd-i meşîb
‘Âkifâ ‘ûd-ı du‘â-sûz-ı diliñle yansun
Eyle gel âḫir-i bezm oldı dimâġı taṭyîb
Tâ ki zerrîn ḳalem-i şer‘ ile evrâḳ-ı cihân
Ṭarz-ı zîbâ ile dâ’im bula böyle tedhîb
Tâ ki ser-çûb-ı şerî‘atla ola gümrâhân
Râh-ı pür-ḫavf u ḫaṭarnâk-ı cehilden tenkîb
Ḫıfẓ ide bâd-ı kederden seni ey şem‘-i kemâl
Feyż idüp ‘âleme nûr-ı keremiñ zîb-i mucîb
Ey gül-i gülşen-i ‘âlem gel açıl sen her dem
Görme ġam hem ide şâdî biri birin ta‘ḳîb

In English

1. Some describe the wine cup, some speak of the beloved; everyone adorns the opening of his speech with what he loves (builds the prelude of his kaside around it).

2. I am the true lover of that pride of the prophets; I give my speech its ornament and adornment by praising his sacred law.

3. Now I become one who brings joy to the hearts of lovers, making even the musician who stirs hearts with lute and delight lend his ear. (The couplet is not wholly clear; the sense is approximate.)

4. How fine is that strong sacred law, a building with firm foundations; as long as the dome of heaven stands, it will never be overthrown.

5. Welcome to the religion of right guidance, for those of mankind who have lost their way; for it is the guide of the journey on the hard day (of Judgement).

6. How could I not recite the virtues of that religion, when even to kings it falls as so great an honour to serve it purely.

7. Until the Day of Judgement the lofty voice of the muezzin and the eloquent lip of the preacher proclaim its qualities.

8. Paradise is the reward of those who love it, and hell of those who hate it; glory follows those who help it, and abasement those who try to destroy it.

9. It is the cause of the prosperity of the world's dominion; were it absent for a moment, the hand of events would lay the world waste.

10. It is the sun that sheds light on the expanse of the horizons; it is the river that gives fertility to the pastures.

11. It is what gives brilliance to the shining stars of heaven, and it is what waters the broad field of the earth.

12. It is the guide to the path of right for the traveller called reason; if reason loses it, it remains a stranger in error.

13. It is the pearl-scattering treasure of salvation for the skirt of the one who strives; whoever does not find it remains destitute, sorrowful and grieved.

14. First find its treasurer; let me tell you who he is: he is the intercessor for sins on the plain of gathering on the Day of Judgement.

15. Traveller on the road of the heavens, master of the realm of character, who reached the rank of being beloved of God, the Creator who calls to account,

16. Cause of the creation of the rose, guide to the highway of all paths: His Holiness the pride of the prophets, Ahmed, the Chosen and the Beloved.

17. He always urged those diving in the sea of sin towards God, and made them fear unbelief and ignorance.

18. The armies of hearts were bound to the forelock of his character and became guardians, heart and soul, on the path of protecting him.

19. When that world-conquering king rose for holy war, the brave men of Arabia gathered round him from head to foot.

20. The arrow in the quiver drew the bow to its side; young and old all submitted to his command. (The first line is not wholly clear as read in the source.)

21. His love passed even to dumb beasts and lifeless things; in the pain of separation the pillar moaned like a groaning she-camel.

22. The sword bowed its head and girded itself for service; the bow too bent its stature and became a fearsome crescent.

23. The arrow straightened, spread its feathers and came at once to serve; it fell before him, did its servant's duty and found its mark.

24. When the wind of his resolve kindled the fire of holy war, the hearth in the house of nothingness of polytheism turned to ashes.

25. God gave him strength with four caliphs; He made the date palm of religion firm with four props.

26. The Gracious Lord set those four pillars firmly on the foundation of the sacred law and raised high the roof of Islam.

27. Out of love for the Messenger they drew their swords at once; all of them dyed their hands as with henna in the blood of martyrdom.

28. Were that beloved of glory to ride against the enemy's throne, they would run along with him on Arabian horses at gallop and at trot.

29. Had they set out for the shield of the garden of delight, they would have gladdened their hearts with the spectacle of holy war. (The couplet is not wholly clear.)

30. Setting the instruments of battle in order from end to end, they would say, "What a delightful rose garden the battlefield is."

31. Its greenery is sword and axe, its lily has the shape of a dagger; its roses are the bodies of shields, its upright cypress the spear and the rod.

32. The bud of its rosebush is the wound on the heads of the warriors of the faith; the tulip of its garden is the hennaed hand stained with blood.

33. Look at the blood-tipped spear on the arms of the warriors: the jasmine had wound itself round the tulip, what a strange fashion.

34. The lion-natured Companions sank their teeth, with the spear's tooth, into the flesh of the herd of unbelievers.

35. With the water of the sword and the fire of the valiant they demolished the edifice of unbelief and scattered its earth to the winds.

36. The rose garden of the enemies suffered the torment of separation; the ill-omened raven took the place of the singing nightingale.

37. When the wind of victory and the help of conquest blew, the ship of Islam reached the shore and unbelief was drowned.

38. The sapling of the sacred law grew fresh with the water of the sword; the garden of religion came to perfection and gained a wondrous ornament.

39. The watchful Lord, may God's mercy be upon them for ever, made the four imams gardeners of that rose garden.

40. Opening the channel of analogy from the spring of the heart and deriving rulings, they adorned the rose garden of the law with the roses of legal judgements.

41. Since each holds in his hand a probe full of the water of legal principles, each is a physician to the wound that is hard for the questioner.

42. Then many architects of perfection came to the house of religion, and all of them arranged it in detailed chapters.

43. The indexes of chapters and books, the black text and the commentaries of books were arranged here and there with tulip and violet (with red and black ink).

44. They gathered the pieces of single sayings and combined them in books as in folded jewel caskets.

45. So that for those struck by the dreadful disease of ignorance they might be physicians, with answers like a healing remedy... (The couplet is not wholly clear.)

46. Then, giving the pearls of legal rulings another arrangement, they strung them with the hand of verification on the thread of the basic texts.

47. So that the throat of meaning might find the necklace of elegance and become yet another ornament in the eyes of lovers.

48. Through independent reasoning they emptied the quiver of thought; of their shots some missed and some hit the mark.

49. But the leading great scholars who came later all approved acting on the soundest opinion.

50. They took them all in hand with a hundred counsels and chose between them, for the early generations were so close to the age of the Companions. (The second line is not wholly clear.)

51. Giving legal opinions with the choicest sayings of the early generations, they corrected the record of people's deeds.

52. Whoever seeks the way to salvation, let him travel that road; a hundred thanks, this broad highway has become visible.

53. When the leaves of books turn like a wind-filled sail, the seed of the adversaries' obstinacy grows soft as milk. (The couplet is not wholly clear.)

54. There the king and the poor are weighed as equals; God placed it on a wondrous balance.

55. The Beloved Lord set up a touchstone of the law in the marketplace of time and made known the worth of everything.

56. What wonder if the Egypt of the world is honoured by the Nile of the law, for the gauge of that Nile is the pen in a wise man's hand.

57. (The one praised is) the most virtuous of the age, the crown of the world's famous men; learned, excellent, sea-hearted, beneficial and cultivated.

58. Refuge of those who ask difficult questions on the lofty matters of the law; the Şeyhülislam of the age, virtuous, masterly and wise.

59. So perfect is he that even if Plato had come, he would have been schooled for a thousand years in his school of wisdom.

60. Even the sharpness of a flammable nature burns with envy of him; do not take what you see above the fire temple for a flame. (The couplet is not wholly clear.)

61. If his forbearance were the weigher of jewels on the scales of dignity, even the lightest forbearance would match the mountains in weight. (The couplet is not wholly clear.)

62. If he frowned and furrowed his brow, even the pole star would tremble before him.

63. The people of the world are content with his command in force; no request to him is turned away, whether with water or with perfume. (The second line is not wholly clear.)

64. They gave a meaning to his kindness and called it "a Nile of example"; they gave a meaning to his wrath and called it "one's allotted mourning". (The couplet is not wholly clear.)

65. Whoever once banishes him from the city of his heart will be a vagabond for ever and will perish.

66. O virtuous one, who knows true worth, sea of kindness and generosity, who has refined the copy of his character from beginning to end.

67. The heavens fill their sand box with the sand of the stars, and Mercury, the scribe among the planets, eagerly sands your writings dry.

68. The enemy who, from fear of you, has a weakened liver and suffers from dropsy, drinking without end, can be satisfied only with the water of ink. (The couplet is not wholly clear.)

69. A tablet of light is the preface to the book of your fortune; the stars and the orbit of felicity are its illumination. (The source reads "levḥa-i mûr".)

70. O you of heavenly rank, if the sun of your worth deigned to descend into the course of the heavens, the stars of Kef-i Hadîb (the hennaed hand) would hold its skirt.

71. O steed of nature, however much we gallop and trot, alas, it is impossible to cross the desert of his praise.

72. In the courtyard of the field of boasting, raising the dust, do not frighten the horsemen of skill.

73. When it saw the violence of my nature, the rue seed at once took refuge, with a hundred cries, in the skirt of the flame.

74. Let the hand that moves the reed pen show the masters of skill an unusual weaving of words. (The couplet is not wholly clear.)

75. And let that music-maker (the pen) delight the listening ear with the opening couplet of a fine ghazal.

76. Gild the turban of your speech in two places, for sultans make it an ornament at the head of the anthology.

77. O you who beguile with coquetry, tell me: do these coquetries of yours leave a head on the body, reason in the head, a soul in the breast, patience in the soul?

78. Had that rose-faced beloved not smiled at him in secret, the thorn-natured rival would not be clinging to his skirt.

79. Do not weary your jaw, nothing resembles the beloved's chin; even choice quinces and apples have fallen into mouths and been chewed.

80. Her cheek dressed in red, her breast and her chin have come into view: two bitter oranges, two pomegranates and an apple on a pomegranate tray.

81. O you whose trade is cruelty, will you still not pity my state; hearing my moans in the corner of sorrow, even the rival felt pity.

82. Cupbearer, bring wine, help, the dry ascetic has gone; now is the time to put our minds in order.

83. That beauty with the earring never says "good morning" into my ear, reproaching my state in the evening of separation. (The couplet is not wholly clear.)

84. O virtuous one, you are the head of the company of scholars; no one in the world comes near your rank.

85. Mother and father are gone, the sorrows of the world remain; be gracious, do not leave this orphan a stranger in this world.

86. The burden of grief has bent my stature like an old man's; I do not know whether this is the time of my youth or the age of old age.

87. O Âkif, let the aloes wood of your prayer-burning heart be lit; come, the gathering has reached its end, fill the mind with fragrance.

88. So that the leaves of the world may always be gilded thus, in a beautiful manner, with the golden pen of the sacred law;

89. So that those who have lost their way may be turned by the staff of the law from the fearful and dangerous road of ignorance;

90. O candle of perfection, may God keep you from the wind of sorrow; may the light of your generosity bestow grace on the world and be its ornament.

91. O rose of the world's rose garden, come, bloom at every moment; may you see no sorrow, and may joys follow one upon another.

Literary and Historical Commentary

Structure of the Poem

According to the text published by Öntürk and Tunçadam, the poem is a na't of 91 couplets, that is, a kaside (qasida) in praise of the Prophet. In their analysis the authors describe the kaside as having 93 couplets; since the sample text contains 91, either two couplets were not printed or the count differs. It is the second kaside in the divan and has no heading. The metre is the remel pattern "fe‘ilâtün fe‘ilâtün fe‘ilâtün fe‘ilün" of aruz (quantitative metre). No redif (refrain word) is used; the rhyme throughout is built on the sound "-îb" (ḥabîb, teşbîb, zîb, taḳlîb, ġarîb…). The kaside keeps its classical sections: the first three couplets are a prelude stating the poet's intention; then come the praise of the sacred law and of religion, and the Prophet is named in couplet 16. Couplets 17-38 describe the Prophet's holy war, the four caliphs and the Companions; couplets 39-56 the four imams of the legal schools and the books of jurisprudence. Couplets 57-72 praise the Şeyhülislam of the day; couplets 73-76 are the fahriye in which the poet praises himself, couplets 77-83 an inserted ghazal (tegazzül), couplets 84-86 the section in which the poet presents his own condition, couplet 87 the pen-name couplet, and the last four couplets a prayer.

Meaning and Figures of Speech

What makes the kaside interesting is that it is written through the eyes of a madrasa teacher and mufti. The poet likens the sacred law to a building with firm foundations, to a sun that lights the horizons and a river that waters the fields; he likens the four caliphs to the four props that hold up a date palm and the four imams to the gardeners of this garden. Even the writing of the books of jurisprudence is told within the picture of a garden: headings and text written in red and black ink become "tulip and violet" (43), and the reasoning of the jurist who errs or hits the mark is likened to arrows shot from a quiver (48). The scenes of holy war are turned by a long simile into a rose garden: sword and axe become greenery, the dagger a lily, the shield a rose, the bloodied hand a tulip (30-33). Couplet 21 alludes to the palm trunk, the Hannâne pillar, which is said to have moaned when the Prophet moved to the pulpit and left it. In couplets 22-23 the sword, the bow and the arrow are personified and shown as servants waiting on the Prophet. In couplet 67 the heavens become a "rîkdân", the box from which sand was sprinkled to dry ink, and Mercury, regarded as the scribe among the planets, becomes the one who sands the writing. "Kef-i ḫażîb" in couplet 70 means "hennaed hand" and is also the name of a group of stars in the sky; this observation of a double entendre (tevriye) is ours. The wish in couplet 76, "gild the turban of your speech in two places", recalls the use of two opening couplets to which Öntürk and Tunçadam draw attention in Âkif's ghazals. In many couplets the transliteration in the source appears corrupt or unclear; the uncertainty is marked separately in the rendering of those couplets.

Historical Context

According to Öntürk and Tunçadam, after the praise of the Prophet the na't praises the Şeyhülislam of the day, Mustafa Efendi, and this shows that the poet had some connection with him. According to the Kitâbü'l-Mecmû' written by Âkif's grandson, at one point Şeyhülislam Mustafa Efendi attached him to the Süleymaniye Madrasa; the kaside may well be connected with this patronage, but the sources do not give its date. The words "Mother and father are gone" in couplet 85 suggest that the poem was written after the death of his father Bayram Efendi in 1112 (1700-01); this is an inference. In the analytical part of the article couplet 58 appears as "Melce-i müşk ile pürsân müte‘allîḳ-i şerî‘", and in the sample text as "Melce-i müşk ile pürsân-ı ma‘âlîḳ-i şerî‘". For the poet's life, see the article Îdîzâde Âkif Mustafa Efendi.

Bibliography

Online sources