Original Ottoman Turkish Text
Metre: Mef‘ūlü Fā‘ilātü Mefā‘īlü Fā‘ilün
İy kāşif-i ḥaḳāyıḳ-ı esrār Yā Ḥüseyn
V’ey vāḳıf-ı daḳāyıḳ-ı eṭvār Yā Ḥüseyn
İy iḫtiyār-ı zümre-i evlād-ı Ḥaydarī
V’ey faḫr-i Āl-i Aḥmed-i Muḫtār Yā Ḥüseyn
İrdi cihāna pertev-i ḥüsnüñle rūşenā
İy vech-i pākı maṭla‘-ı envār Yā Ḥüseyn
Nuṭḳuñdan oldı ‘āleme rūşen kelām-ı Ḥaḳ
İy rāz-dār-ı Ḥaydar-i Kerrār Yā Ḥüseyn
İtdi ẓuhūr ṣūret-i pākuñda fażl-ı Ḥaḳ
‘Arż eyledüñ cihāna çü dīdār Yā Ḥüseyn
Cām-ı lebüñden içdi “ene’l-Ḥaḳ” şarābını
Manṣūr ki oldı cāni-i ser-dār Yā Ḥüseyn
İḳrārumuz budur ki odur münkir-i Ḫudā
Her kim ki eyledi saña inkār Yā Ḥüseyn
Bend itdi gerden-i dile ṭavḳ-ı muḥabbetüñ
Ḳaṭ‘ itdi her ‘alāḳa-i aḥrār Yā Ḥüseyn
Īmān getürdi ḥubbüñe bel baġladı senüñ
Her kim Ḫudā’ya eyledi iḳrār Yā Ḥüseyn
Ḫalḳ-ı cihānı eyledi āzār Ḥaḳḳ’ı hem
Her kim ki eyledi seni āzār Yā Ḥüseyn
Bilsem ki nice çekdi saña tīġ-ı kīne
Mervān-ı ḫar Yezīd-i sitem-kār Yā Ḥüseyn
Derdā vü ḥasretā vü dirīġā ki ẓulm ile
Ḳıydı vücūd-ı pākuña eşrār Yā Ḥüseyn
Ẓulm ile dökdi ḫāke nidem ḫūn-ı pākuñı
Bir ḳaç ḫabīs̱ ü mühmil ü murdār Yā Ḥüseyn
Her gice mātemüñde revā ḳanlar aġlasa
Tā ṣubḥ olınca dīde-i bīdār Yā Ḥüseyn
Çāk eyleyüp yaḳasını nālişler eylesün
Her kim ki ola mü’min ü din-dār Yā Ḥüseyn
Geysün kebūd ḥaşre degin mātemüñ ṭutup
Olup ġam ile çerḫ nigū-sār Yā Ḥüseyn
Ṣubḥ eylesün yaḳasını şevḳüñ eliyle çāk
Mihrüñde ṣıdḳın eyleyüp iẓhār Yā Ḥüseyn
Yaḳsun derūnın āteş-i hicrüñle mihr ü māh
Girsün semā‘a seb‘a-i seyyār Yā Ḥüseyn
Derd ile ra‘d perde-i eflākı çāk idüp
İtsün hezār na‘re olup zār Yā Ḥüseyn
Hicr ile giryeler ḳıluben ḳaṭre ḳaṭre yaş
Döksün gözinden ebr-i güher-bār Yā Ḥüseyn
Gün ṭoġmasun başına daḫı rūz-ı rūşenüñ
Ḳalsun bu mātem ile şeb-i tār Yā Ḥüseyn
Baġrını tīġ-ı ḥasret ile ḫūn idüp şafaḳ
Yaḳsun derūnına ġam ile nār Yā Ḥüseyn
Derd ile sīnesini zemīn çāk çāk idüp
İtsün cihāna varını īs̱ār Yā Ḥüseyn
Cūş u ḫurūş idüp bu hevā ile baḥr-vār
Dögsün başını ṭaşlara enhār Yā Ḥüseyn
Bu mātem ile bāda virüp berg ü bārını
Artuḳda gülmesün gül-i gülzār Yā Ḥüseyn
Bülbül hezār nāle ile rāḥat olmasun
Bālīn ü pisterini idüp ḫār Yā Ḥüseyn
Baġrına dāġ-ı ḥasret urup lāleler ḳamu
Yaḳsun başına āteşi küh-sār Yā Ḥüseyn
Sūsen bu ḥasret ile düşüp ḫancer-i ġama
Yumsun gözini nergis-i bīmār Yā Ḥüseyn
Ḳaddini ḥasret ile benefşe ḫam eyleyüp
Yolsun ṣaçını sünbül-i pür-tār Yā Ḥüseyn
Ḳan aġlasun bu māteme derd ile cinn ü ins
Yansun bu derde mü’min ü küffār Yā Ḥüseyn
Mervān-ı ḫar Yezīd-i la‘īn şerr-i kāfirüñ
La‘netler ola cānına her bār Yā Ḥüseyn
Her kim k’aña muḥibb ü mu‘īn ola ḥaşre dek
Cānına ola la‘net-i bisyār Yā Ḥüseyn
Ceddüñ ḥaḳı ki cümle Ben-i Ādem içre ol
Oldı Ḥabīb-i Ḥażret-i Dādār Yā Ḥüseyn
Hem vālid-i kerīmüñ olan Murtażā ḥaḳı
K’oldur emīn-i gevher-i esrār Yā Ḥüseyn
Ümm’üñ ḥaḳı ki ṣūret-i ‘ismetde ol durur
Ümmü’l-kitāba maẓhar-ı ās̱ār Yā Ḥüseyn
Āḫ-ı büzürg-vāruñ olan muḳtedā ḥaḳı
Ya‘nī Ḥasan emīr-i cihān-dār Yā Ḥüseyn
Ẕātuñ ḥaḳı ki mefḫar-ı evlād u āl olup
Olduñ gürūh-ı ümmete ser-dār Yā Ḥüseyn
Zeyne’l-‘ibād ḥaḳḳı ki oldur kemāl ile
Dürc-i vücūduña dür-i şeh-vār Yā Ḥüseyn
Evlād-ı pākuñ içre anuñ ḥaḳḳı kim odur
Bāḳır Muḥammed ol ser ü sālār Yā Ḥüseyn
Ṣādıḳ ḥaḳı ki ṣıdḳ ile mānend-i ṣubḥ odur
Şems-i cemāl-i Ḥaḳḳ’a nümū-dār Yā Ḥüseyn
Anuñ ḥaḳı ki Mūsi-i Kāẓım dinür aña
Ā‘nī emīr-i zümre-i ebrār Yā Ḥüseyn
Daḫı Rıżā Taḳī vü Naḳī ‘Askerī ḥaḳı
Kim oldı her biri ser-i aḫyār Yā Ḥüseyn
Mehdī ḥaḳı ki hādi-i āḫir-zemān olup
Sırr-ı ḥaḳīḳati ider iẓhār Yā Ḥüseyn
Ḥubbuñla ḳalb-i Fażlī’yi şol resme eyle pür
Kim ṣıġmaya derūnına aġyār Yā Ḥüseyn
Her ṣubḥ u şām vird-i zebān eyleyüp müdām
Nām-ı şerīfüñ eyleye tekrār Yā Ḥüseyn
In English
1. O you who reveal the secrets of the truths, O you who know the subtleties of the states, Ya Hüseyin.
2. O chosen one of the line of Haydar (Ali), O pride of the family of Ahmed the Chosen, that is, of the Prophet Muhammad, Ya Hüseyin.
3. O Hüseyin, whose pure face is the rising place of lights, brightness reached the world through the radiance of your beauty.
4. O confidant of Haydar who charges again and again (Ali), Ya Hüseyin, the word of God became clear to the world through your speech.
5. Ya Hüseyin, because you showed your face to the world, the grace of God appeared in your pure form.
6. Mansur, who gave up his life on the gallows as a culprit, drank the wine of "Ene'l-Hak" (I am the Truth) from the cup of your lip, Ya Hüseyin. (Hallâj-i Mansur is the Sufi executed for saying "Ene'l-Hak".)
7. Our confession is this: whoever denies you has denied God, Ya Hüseyin.
8. The collar of your love has bound the neck of the heart; for your sake the free-hearted have cut every other tie, Ya Hüseyin.
9. Whoever has confessed God has come to believe in your love and has put his trust in you, Ya Hüseyin.
10. Whoever hurt you has hurt both the people of the world and God, Ya Hüseyin.
11. If only I knew how Mervan the ass and Yezid the tyrant drew the sword of hatred against you, Ya Hüseyin. ("Ḫar", ass, is used here as an insult.)
12. What pain, what longing, what a pity that the wicked cruelly destroyed your pure being, Ya Hüseyin.
13. What can I do, a handful of vile, worthless and filthy men cruelly spilled your pure blood on the ground, Ya Hüseyin.
14. It would be fitting if the sleepless eye wept blood in mourning for you every night until morning, Ya Hüseyin.
15. Let everyone who is a believer and devout tear his collar and lament, Ya Hüseyin.
16. Let the heavens bow their head in grief, keep mourning for you until the Day of Resurrection and wear blue, Ya Hüseyin. (Blue was counted a colour of mourning; the blueness of the sky is tied to this mourning.)
17. Let the morning tear its collar with the hand of longing, showing its faithfulness in your love, Ya Hüseyin. (The whitening of the dawn is likened to the tearing of a collar.)
18. Let the sun and the moon burn their hearts with the fire of separation from you; let the seven planets enter the whirling dance, Ya Hüseyin. ("Semā‘" is the remembrance of God performed by dervishes while turning; the revolving of the planets is likened to it.)
19. Let the thunder tear the veil of the heavens in pain and, lamenting, give a thousand cries, Ya Hüseyin.
20. Let the pearl-raining cloud weep in separation and shed tears from its eye drop by drop, Ya Hüseyin.
21. Let no sun rise again over the bright day; let the day remain a dark night with this mourning, Ya Hüseyin.
22. Let the red of evening turn its breast to blood with the sword of longing and kindle fire within itself in grief, Ya Hüseyin.
23. Let the earth tear its breast to pieces in pain and scatter all it has over the world, Ya Hüseyin.
24. Let the rivers surge and roar like the sea with this passion and beat their heads against the stones, Ya Hüseyin.
25. Let the rose of the garden give its leaf and fruit to the wind with this mourning and laugh no more, Ya Hüseyin. (The "laughing" of a rose is its opening.)
26. Let the nightingale make its pillow and bed of thorns and moan with a thousand cries, finding no rest, Ya Hüseyin. ("Hezār" means both "a thousand" and the nightingale.)
27. Let all the tulips strike the wound of longing upon their breasts; let the mountains kindle fire upon their heads, Ya Hüseyin. (The black spot in the centre of the tulip is likened to the scar of a wound, and the red tulips blooming on the mountains to fire.)
28. Let the iris fall upon the dagger of grief with this longing, and let the sick narcissus close its eye, Ya Hüseyin. (The leaves of the iris are likened to daggers, the narcissus flower to a languid eye.)
29. Let the violet bend its stature with longing, and the curling hyacinth tear its hair, Ya Hüseyin.
30. Let jinn and men weep blood in pain for this mourning, let believer and unbeliever alike burn with this sorrow, Ya Hüseyin.
31. May curses fall every time upon the soul of Mervan the ass, of the accursed Yezid, that wicked unbeliever, Ya Hüseyin.
32. May abundant curses fall upon the soul of everyone who is his friend and helper until the Day of Resurrection, Ya Hüseyin.
33. By the right of your grandfather, who among all the children of Adam became the beloved of the Exalted Creator, Ya Hüseyin.
34. By the right of your noble father Murtaza (Ali), the trustee of the jewel of secrets, Ya Hüseyin.
35. By the right of your mother, who in the form of chastity is the place where the works of the Mother of the Book appear, Ya Hüseyin. (His mother is Fatima. "Ümm" means mother; "Ümmü'l-kitâb", the "Mother of the Book", means the original of the Book and is also a name of the opening sura of the Qur'an, the Fatiha. A link is made between the words.)
36. By the right of your great brother who is the leader, that is, Hasan, the emir who rules the world, Ya Hüseyin.
37. By the right of your own person, for you became the pride of the offspring and the family and the leader of the community of believers, Ya Hüseyin.
38. By the right of Zeynelabidin, who in his perfection is the royal pearl in the jewel case of your being, Ya Hüseyin.
39. By the right of Bakir Muhammad, the head and chief among your pure offspring, Ya Hüseyin.
40. By the right of Sadık (Jafar al-Sadiq), who in his faithfulness is like the morning that shows the sun of God's beauty, Ya Hüseyin. (The true dawn is called "subh-ı sâdık"; a link is made between this phrase and the imam's epithet.)
41. By the right of him who is called Musa Kazım, that is, the emir of the company of the righteous, Ya Hüseyin.
42. And by the right of Rıza, Taki, Naki and Askeri, each of whom became the head of the good, Ya Hüseyin.
43. By the right of the Mahdi, who is the guide of the end of time and will reveal the secret of the truth, Ya Hüseyin.
44. Ya Hüseyin, fill the heart of Fazlî with your love in such a way that no others can find room in it.
45. Let him make it the litany of his tongue every morning and evening and repeat your noble name without ceasing, Ya Hüseyin.
Literary and Historical Commentary
Structure of the Poem
The poem is a kaside (qasida) of forty-five couplets (beyit). The metre is the "mef‘ūlü fā‘ilātü mefā‘īlü fā‘ilün" pattern of the muzari family. The rhyme is the sound "-ār" (esrār, eṭvār, Muḫtār, envār, Kerrār...), and the redif (refrain word) is the invocation "Yā Ḥüseyn"; every couplet thus closes with a call to Hüseyin. The pen name (mahlas) appears in couplet 44, the second to last. Mustafa Özkat presents this kaside as a "maktel" written in praise of Hüseyin. Maktel is the name given to works on the martyrdom of Hüseyin at Karbala. To whom and when it was written is not known.
The kaside is found in two miscellanies: in miscellany no. 314 of the Âşir Efendi collection of the Süleymaniye Library (fol. 108b) and in miscellany no. 1966 of the Revan collection of the Topkapı Palace Museum Library (fol. 144a). The title "Ḳaṣīde-i Fażlī Çelebi" is found only in the Revan copy. The differences between the two copies are small: the Süleymaniye copy has "cihān" for "cihānı" in couplet 10, and the Revan copy has "Merdān-ı ḫar" for "Mervān-ı ḫar" in couplet 11 and "ṣubḥ-vār" for "ṣubḥ odur" in couplet 40. The word "seyyār" in couplet 18 is written "seyyāre" in both copies; Özkat corrected it to "seyyār" to fit the rhyme.
Meaning and Figures of Speech
The kaside falls into three parts. In the first ten couplets Hüseyin is praised: he is called the chosen one of Haydar's line, the pride of the Prophet's family, the one whose face is the rising place of lights. In Özkat's summary, after saying that to deny Hüseyin would be to deny God, the poet sincerely expresses his grief at his killing and heaps curses on his murderers. In couplet 6 Hallâj-i Mansur, who went to the gallows for saying "Ene'l-Hak", is said to have drunk this saying from the cup of Hüseyin's lip; the mystical image of intoxication and self-sacrifice is thus tied to the love of the Prophet's family. Özkat cites couplet 2 as an example of the couplets with chains of construct phrases, which are very rare in Fazlî's poems.
The second part, stretching from couplet 11 to couplet 32, is a tableau of mourning. First the believers are told to tear their collars and lament, then the whole universe is called to mourn: the heavens wear blue, the morning tears its collar, the sun and the moon burn their hearts, the planets enter the whirling dance, the sky thunders, the cloud weeps, the earth tears its breast, the rivers beat their heads against the stones. Then come the flowers: the rose no longer opens, the nightingale finds no rest on its bed of thorns, the tulip strikes a wound on its breast, the iris falls on the dagger, the narcissus closes its eye, the violet bends its stature, the hyacinth tears its hair. This section is built throughout on hüsn-i talil (poetic aetiology): natural states such as the blueness of the sky, the whitening of the dawn and the bent posture of the violet are tied to the mourning for Hüseyin. Personification is also dense; the things of nature are made to speak like people in mourning. Özkat notes that couplets 29 and 30 recall Bâkî's elegy for Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent. In both poems the whole of nature is called to mourn after a death.
The third part (couplets 33-43) is a series of oaths. After praying by the right of the Prophet Muhammad, Ali, Fatima, Hasan and Hüseyin's own person, the poet names the twelve imams in order, from Zeynelabidin to the Mahdi. In couplet 40 the link made between the epithet of Jafar al-Sadiq and the morning is noteworthy: the true dawn is called "subh-ı sâdık", and the imam is likened to a morning announcing the sun of God's beauty. The kaside ends with the wish that the poet's heart be so full of the love of Hüseyin that no room is left for others. According to Özkat's description of the manuscripts, the Süleymaniye miscellany in which this kaside is found also contains a Turkish prose treatise on the twelve imams and historical notes on them.
Idioms from everyday speech also appear in the poem. Among the idioms collected by Özkat are, from this kaside, "bel bağlamak" (to put one's trust in, couplet 9), "başını taştan taşa vurmak" (to beat one's head from stone to stone, couplet 24), "bağrı yanık" (with a burnt breast, couplet 27), "saçını yolmak" (to tear one's hair, couplet 29), and "kan ağlamak" (to weep blood) and "derdine yanmak" (to burn with someone's sorrow, couplet 30). Kara Fazlî is known to have been attached to the Gülşenî branch of the Halveti order; the image of Mansur and the wish that love leave no room for "others" show the mystical side of the kaside.
Bibliography
- Mustafa Özkat, Kara Fazlî'nin Hayatı, Eserleri, Edebî Kişiliği ve Dîvânı (İnceleme-Tenkitli Metin), MA thesis, Marmara University Institute of Turkic Studies, Istanbul 2005, pp. 146-150, kaside no. 9 (Süleymaniye Library, Âşir Efendi 314, fol. 108b; Topkapı Palace Museum Library, Revan 1966, fol. 144a); also p. 50 (on the kasides), pp. 91-93 (idioms), p. 105 (construct phrases) and pp. 118-119 (description of the manuscripts), https://katalog.marmara.edu.tr/veriler/yordambt/cokluortam/5E/T0051713.pdf.
- Hasan Aksoy, "Kara Fazlî", TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi, vol. 24, Istanbul 2001, pp. 360-361, https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/kara-fazli.
Online sources
