Original Ottoman Turkish Text

Şair sivadı hanıdır esrarı hilkatin
Bir tercümandır suhufı sun'ı kudretin
Hassas kalbi maderi müşfik kadar rekıyk
Anlar lisanı halini tıflı tabiatın.
Billur tab'ıdır adsı camı şule suz
Akseyleddikçe anda büyür hüsnü san'atın.
Hissi ile akeder ve hayaliyle resmeder
Nakşın hezarı rengini elvahı fıtratın.
Şiirin teressümati değil bi hayat
Umkunda mevc urur sesi hüznün, meserretin.
Her perdesinde bir yeni ilham nağmesi
Teziz eder simahını ışkı bedaatın.
Zehnen hayale dalsa da taban olur yine
Şair esiri cazibesi bir hakıykatın.
Zinet verir hurugu, durugu hakıykate
İcâzı anda zahir olur kabiliyetin.
Şair tahakküm eylemek ister tabiate
Guya asasıdır kalemi harkı adetin.
En canlı söz tabiati şiiriyeden doğar
Ferzendi ayemutu odur natıkıyyetin.
Ahengi veznü kafiye seci tuyurdan.
Bir yadigarıdır bize sazı muhabbetin.
Cudi kifayet eylemiyor hissi şaire
Sermayeyi beyanı bediin, belagatin.

In English

1. The poet is the reader of the script of the secrets of creation; he is an interpreter of the pages of the art of Power.

2. His sensitive heart is as tender as a loving mother; he understands the unspoken language of nature's child.

3. His nature is a crystal lens-cup that burns a flame; as it reflects (things), the beauty of art grows in it.

4. With his feeling he reflects, with his fancy he paints the thousand colours of the pattern on the tablets of creation.

5. The depictions of poetry are not lifeless; in their depth the voice of sorrow and of joy surges.

6. In every mode of it a new melody of inspiration exalts the ear of the love of the new.

7. Even if in thought he dives into fancy, he is drawn back again; the poet is the captive of the pull of a truth (the couplet is not entirely clear).

8. Its rising and falling give ornament to truth; the miracle of talent appears in it (the line is not entirely clear).

9. The poet wishes to rule over nature; as if his pen were the staff of miracles.

10. The liveliest word is born of a poetic nature; it is the undying child of the speaking reason.

11. Harmony, metre, rhyme and rhymed prose (come) from the birds; the instrument of love is a keepsake to us.

12. Cûdî, feeling alone is not enough for the poet; his capital is the expression of eloquence and the art of speech.

Literary and Historical Commentary

The thesis gives this ghazal as two separate poems numbered 5 and 6; but it continues the same metre and rhyme, treats the same subject and ends with a single closing couplet bearing the pen name; so it is read here as one poem. Its subject is the poet and poetry. It asks the same question as the muhammes "Şâir" in the divan: what is a poet? The answer has two sides. On one side the poet is a sensitive heart who reads the secrets of creation, translates the pages of Power and understands the silent language of nature with a mother's tenderness.

On the other side poetry is an art: the poet's nature is like a crystal lens that gathers light; he reflects with his feeling and paints with his fancy. The tenth couplet counts poetry "the undying child of the speaking reason"; the eleventh seeks the root of harmony, metre and rhyme in the voice of birds. The closing couplet is a warning: feeling alone is not enough for the poet; the real capital is knowledge of the art of speech and eloquence. This last couplet by Cûdî, who taught literature all his life, is like the voice of a teacher defending the balance between inspiration and craft.

Bibliography

  • Havva Tok Yıldız, Merzifonlu İbrâhîm Cûdî Dîvânı (İnceleme-Metin-Sözlük) [1b-43a], Master's thesis, Ondokuz Mayıs University, Samsun 2017, pp. 180, 183-184 (Appendix, poems no. 5-6). http://libra.omu.edu.tr/tezler/116853.pdf

Online sources