Original Ottoman Turkish Text

Metre: Feʿilātün feʿilātün feʿilātün feʿilün

Açmayan rūḥdaki aṣl-ı muḥabbet gözini
Bu ṣuver-gāh-ı fenānıñ göremez iç yüzini
Ḥis ile nuṭḳ ideniñ olsa ne rütbe eblaġ
Almaz erbāb-ı naẓar gūş-ı ḳabūle sözini
Zāde-i rūḥ-ı kerīm olmalıdır nuṭḳ-ı necīb
Ṭutmam aġūş-ı nevāzişde sözüño gözini
Cevher-i nāṭıḳaya ṭabʿ-ı beşerdir maʿden
İder ıẓhār kişi kendi söziyle özini
Nūrlar yaġdırır āfāḳa sivādır ḳamu
Şāʿir-i muʿciz ider şebde ʿayān gündüzini
Cūdiyā biz çıḳalım tā süḫanıñ zirvesine
Ehline terk idelim sözde zemīniñ düzini

In English

1. Whoever does not open the eye of the root of love within the spirit cannot see the inner face of this transient place full of images.

2. However eloquent one who speaks from the senses alone may be, the people of insight do not take his word into the ear of acceptance.

3. Noble speech must be the child of a generous spirit; I do not take (any other) word's eye into the embrace of caress (the line is not entirely clear).

4. The mine of the speaking substance (reason) is human nature; a man shows his self through his own word.

5. (Night) rains down lights, all the horizons are black; the wonder-working poet makes his daylight plain at night.

6. Cûdî, let us climb to the summit of speech; let us leave the level ground of speech to those it suits.

Literary and Historical Commentary

In this ghazal, where the divan reflects on speech and poetry, Cûdî begins with the condition of seeing: unless the eye of love in the spirit is opened, the inner face of this transient world cannot be seen. The second couplet applies the same measure to speech: however eloquent talk that rests on the senses alone may be, the people of insight do not accept it. Speech carries the worth of the spirit that is its source; noble speech is born of a generous spirit.

The fourth couplet rests on the definition "nâtık", the speaking being, of the old books of logic and ethics: man's power of speech is a substance, and its mine is human nature; everyone gives away his self through his word. The closeness of sound between "söz", word, and "öz", self, strengthens this idea in Turkish's own language. The closing couplet is an invitation in keeping with the divan's idea of poetry: to climb to the summit of speech and leave what is level and easy to others. The second line of the third couplet resisted a firm sense, and the translation says so.

Bibliography

  • Zeynep Adıyahşi, Merzifonlu İbrâhîm Cûdî Dîvânı (İnceleme-Metin-Sözlük) [43b-87b], Master's thesis, Ondokuz Mayıs University, Samsun 2017, p. 50 (poem no. 205; manuscript fol. 55b). http://libra.omu.edu.tr/tezler/116831.pdf

Online sources