Original Ottoman Turkish Text
Metre: Feʿilātün feʿilātün feʿilātün feʿilün
Ey ḫurāfāt ile meşbūʿ olan aʿṣār u ʿuhūd
İtdiñ ibṭāli ebātīl ile eṭfāl-i mühūd
Uyur ezhān-ı beşer ġulġul-i cemʿiyyetle
Ninni söyler aña bir mevridi mechūl-i sürūd
Uyusun da büyüsün naġmesi ile çocuġı
Ṣalladıñ bunca zamān ey ḳoca fertūt-ı kebūd
Yüz ḳarasıyla ḳıyām itdi ḳucaġıñda zünūc
Vehm ile melʿabeler yapdı sedīriñde hünūd
İmrenüp ḳardaşınıñ yapdıġı bāzīçelere
Oyuna daldı diger iḫve-i aḳṭār u buʿūd
Virmediñ bir iyice terbiye-i fikriyye
Herbiri ṭutdı birer meslek-i ġayr-ı maḥmūd
Nice milyon ḥaşerāt içre sehī itdi ẓuhūr
Cevher-i fıṭrat-ı ḳudsiyye-i kem-yāb-ı vücūd
İtdiler ḫilḳate telḳīḥ-i fażīletlerini
Müstaʿid oldı saʿīd ehl-i şeḳā nā-mesʿūd
Birbirin sevmemeyi pek sever aḳvām u şuḫūṣ
Herbiri kendini zuʿm eyler eḥibbā-yı vürūd
Sevemez birbirin iḫvān daḫı olsa insān
Çekemez yek-digerin çünkü riyākār u ḥasūd
ʿİzzet-i nefsini hep zuʿm-ı saḫīfinde arar
İstiḳāmetden ider kendi saḳīmin maʿdūd
Ḫōd-pesendi vü ḫōd-endīşe vü ḫōd-kāmıdır
İşte māhiyet-i maʿlūm-ı ḥayāt-ı ḥaydūd
Fırṣat el virmeyüp esbāb-ı tekemmül itmez
Yoḳsa hep pāye-i firʿavn-ı müheyyā-yı ṣuʿūd
Aṣlı bir nuṭfe iken ḫāliḳına ḫaṣm-ı mübīn
İnne'l-insāne li-rabbī le-kefūr u kenūd
Ḥarbi ḳānūn-ı ḳadīm ʿad ider erbāb-ı milel
Adam aldatmaġı meşruʿ bilir ḳavm-i yehūd
Her ḳabīle idiyor kendi ŝenāsıyla sürūr
Her ketībe ḳılıyor nuṣreti ḥaḳḳında vürūd
Kimisi beklemede ḳışda ḳıyāmetde ḥudūd
Kimi kāşāne-i zevḳinde leb ālā-yı ḫudūd
Felek oynar ṭopunı ṣoñra yuvarlar çuḳura
Her ḳafa bir emel ardınca olur pāfersūd
Herkes olmaḳda göñülden güyegi maḳṣadına
Zuʿm ider kendisini ḫalḳ-ı cihāndan maḳṣūd
Ḳalḳışır ḥükm-i ḳażā vü ḳaderi temyīze
Kendi reʾyince niçün olmamalı būd u nebūd
Ṭabʿ-ı ḫōd-kāmı virir çünki lehinde iʿlām
Niçün iʿlāmınıñ aḥkāmını görsün merdūd
Ḳalḳışır kendisi mażmūnını icrāya anıñ
Ḳuvveti var ise yumruḳ! Yoġ ise mekr ü ḥuḳūd
Āşikāra yapılır dürlü silāḥ-ı ḫūn-rīz
Yazılır gizlice ṭālmūt-ı tezāvīr-nümūd
Bulamam ḥayf ki tārīḫ-i ḳadīm-i beşerī
Ḫāke birlikde götürmüş utanup ʿād u ŝemūd
Elde ḳalmış dinilen köhne kitābı gördüm
Ki tevāriḫ u ḳavānīn-i ḫuṣūṣī-i yehūd
Ḥāşelillāh ki kelīme virile öyle kelām
Oluna ʿacz ile tavṣīf-i ḫüdāvend-i vedūd
Sāmirī fitnesini ʿazv idiyor Hārūna
Bir nebīye naṣıl isnād olunur cehl-i cühūd
Çoḳ zamān oldı ki tevrāt-ı tevārī itdi
Evvelā oldı muḥarref giderek hep mefḳūd
O ne tārīḫ-i ġarāʾib ki daha başda yazar
Cehl ile ḫilḳate açmaḳda iken bāb-ı küşūd
"Altı günde yaradup ʿālemi yorġūn düşdi
Ki yedinci güni raḥatça oturdı maʿbūd !"
ʿAcabā ḫāliḳi insān mı ḫayāl eylediler
Ki aña itdiler ʿazv-i taʿab-ı ʿacz-ālūd
Yevm-i sebti buña mebnī idi farż bilüp
Sünnet-i ḫālıḳı taḳlīden olurlar āsūd
"Küllü yevmin hüve fī şeʾnin"i tefŝīr eyler
Cümle ẕerrāt-ı vücūd u bütün āyāt-ı şühūd
Ne anıñ ẕātına mümkün görinür mess-i leġūb
Ne anıñ ḳudretine ʿārıż-ı olur vehn ü ḫumūd
Hafta eyyāmı degil sitte-i eyyāma meʾāl
Çekmemişdi bedr-i ḳudret henüz eyyāma ḥudūd
Ḳudret-i fāṭıra eyyām ile maḥdūd olmaz
Ẕāt-ı bārīsi degil çünkü zamanla maḥdūd
Müddet-i ḫilḳati iʿlām buyursa yedi Ḫudā
Raḳm-ı iflās idüp iʿdādi yutardı maʿdūd
Gerçi bir "ken" ile bir anda hezārān-ı ʿām
Yaradır! ḳudreti müstaġnī-i vaḳt-i memdūd
Sünnetullāh faḳaṭ ḥāfıẓ-ı tedrīc-i ḥakīm
Ṭoḳuz ayda ṭoġuyor baḳ anasından mevlüd
Diger aḥkāma gelince o da biṭ-ṭabiʿ ʿaḳīm
Şerʿ-i āḫirle Ḫudā eyledi tecdīd-i ʿuhūd
Elli ʿaṣr evvel olan şerʿ ile ḳābil mi ʿamel
Meŝelā olsa da tevrāt-ı ṣahīḥan mevcūd
Şerʿ-i Mūsī ile ʿāmil olan ehl-i dīnin
Bir mükāfāt idi neylūlet-i arż-ı mevʿūd
Ḳudemāya o mükāfāt idi bir müstaḳbel
Şimdiki ḳavme o māżīden olur mu bir sūd
Var ise gösteriñiz anda mevāʿīd-i beḳā
Ki mükāfāt olamaz dīnin arāżī vü nuḳūd
Mıṣrdan çıḳdıġıñız günleri yād eylerken
Ne o! Hergün yedigiñ ekmegi taḥḳīre ṣudūd
Neden īcāb idiyor niʿmete küfrān itmek
ʿAcabā ekmege gizlendi mi firʿavn u cünūd
Varṭa-i ḳahr u ġażabdan sizi taḫlīṣ idemez
Ne sürūd u ne dürūd u ne de ṣavm-ı Dāvūd
Çeşm-i hāmānı çıḳarmaḳ emeliyle taḳa taḳ
Ḳara bayrāmda budaḳ ḳaḳma mıdır resm-i ʿuyūd
Bu ne dīvānce-i evżāʿ, çocuḳça ḥarekāt
Bir ḳoçaḳlıya ile hāy ḳocamān ṭıfl-ı ʿanūd
Ṣandı hāmāni ʿacem şāhına ṣadr-ı aʿzām
Ḳıṣṣa istedi taṣnīʿ iden aʿmār u züyūd
Mıṣrdan ḳalma bir ism olduġını añlamadı
Ki virir vāsıṭa-i ẓulme o ʿünvān-ı yehūd
Şöyle bir sözde muʿarrādan işitdim ki diyor
-Naẓar-ı ʿaḳl-ı selīme göre emr-i meşhūd-:
" Bir kitābıñ ki ola cümle-i aḥkāmından
Laġv-ı ṭāʿāt-ı nisā, hill-i şarāb-ı maʿhūd
Diyemem ben o kitāba hele mişkāt-ı münīr
Diyemem ben aña bir vech ile şehrāh-ı suʿūd"
In English
1. O ages and eras glutted with superstitions! You beguiled the infants in the cradle with idle words.
2. The minds of mankind sleep amid the clamour of society; a song of unknown source sings them a lullaby.
3. O great, decrepit blue sky, so long you rocked (the cradle) so that the child might sleep and grow with its melody.
4. In your lap the Zanj rose up in disgrace; in your cradle the Hindus made playthings out of fancy.
5. Envying the toys their brother had made, the other brothers of the distant lands too plunged into play.
6. You gave (them) no good upbringing of thought; each took a path not to be praised.
7. Among many millions of insects there rarely appeared the substance of a holy nature, scarce in existence.
8. They grafted their virtues onto creation; the fortunate became capable (of it), the people of misery remained unhappy.
9. Peoples and persons greatly love not loving one another; each fancies himself among (God's) beloved (the line is not entirely clear).
10. Even if they are brothers, men cannot love one another; they cannot bear each other, for they are hypocritical and envious.
11. (Man) always seeks his self-respect in his feeble claim; he counts his own crookedness as uprightness.
12. Self-admiring, self-regarding, self-seeking: here is the known essence of the life of a brigand (the line is not entirely clear).
13. Opportunity does not allow, the means of maturity are not completed; otherwise all are ready to climb to the rank of Pharaoh.
14. Though his origin is a drop of fluid, he is an open adversary to his Creator; "Truly man is ungrateful to his Lord."
15. The leaders of the nations count war an ancient law; the Jewish people hold deceiving men to be lawful.
16. Every tribe rejoices in its own praise; every regiment imagines victory will come in its favour.
17. Some wait on the frontiers in winter's tempest; some are cheek to cheek in the mansion of pleasure.
18. Fate plays ball, then rolls it into the pit; every head is worn out underfoot chasing a hope.
19. Everyone fancies himself already the bridegroom of his aim; he claims to be the purpose of the creation of the world's people.
20. He sets out to correct the ruling of decree and destiny: why should being and non-being not follow his own opinion?
21. Since his self-seeking nature gives a verdict in his favour, why should he see the consequences of his verdict rejected?
22. He sets out himself to carry out the content of that verdict: if he has strength, the fist! If not, guile and grudges.
23. Openly all kinds of bloodshedding weapons are made; in secret a Talmud displaying forgery is written.
24. Alas, I cannot find the ancient history of mankind; 'Âd and Thamûd, ashamed, took it with them into the earth.
25. I saw the old book that is said to have remained in hand: the histories and particular laws of the Jews.
26. God forbid that such words should be given to the Interlocutor (Moses), that the loving God should be described with helplessness.
27. (That book) lays the sedition of the Sâmirî on Aaron; how can the ignorance of the Jews be ascribed to a prophet?
28. It is long since the Torah was hidden away; first it was corrupted, then by degrees lost altogether.
29. What a strange history it is, which writes at the very start, while ignorantly opening a door onto creation:
30. "Having created the world in six days, (God) grew tired, so that on the seventh day the One worshipped sat at ease!"
31. Did they imagine the Creator as a man, that they ascribed to Him a weariness mixed with helplessness?
32. On this basis they held the Sabbath day obligatory; imitating the Creator's practice, they rest.
33. All the atoms of being and all the visible signs interpret the word "Every day He is in some matter."
34. Neither does the touch of fatigue seem possible to His essence, nor does weakness or slackness befall His power.
35. The meaning of "six days" is not the days of the week; the full moon of power had not yet drawn bounds to days.
36. The Creator's power is not bounded by days, for the Creator's essence is not bounded by time.
37. Had God announced the length of creation, numbers would have gone bankrupt and the counted swallowed its own count (the couplet is not entirely clear).
38. True, with one "Be!" He creates thousands of worlds in an instant; His power has no need of long time.
39. But God's custom keeps to a wise gradualness; see, the newborn is born of its mother in nine months.
40. As for the other rulings, they too are by nature barren; God renewed the covenants with the last law.
41. Can one act by a law of fifty centuries ago, even supposing an authentic Torah were extant?
42. For the people of religion who acted by the law of Moses, reaching the promised land was a reward.
43. For the ancients that reward was a future; can that past be of any profit to the present people?
44. If there are any, show in it the promises of everlasting life; for the reward of religion cannot be lands and money.
45. While remembering the days you came out of Egypt, what is this! You turned to scorning the bread you ate every day.
46. What makes ingratitude for a blessing necessary? Did Pharaoh and his hosts hide in the bread?
47. Neither songs nor blessings nor the fast of David can save you from the abyss of wrath and anger.
48. Banging away with the wish to put out Haman's eye, is hammering in knots on a "black feast" the custom of feasts? (the couplet is not entirely clear)
49. What crazy manners, what childish antics; a big stubborn child crying "hey" with a rattle (the line is not entirely clear).
50. He took Haman for the grand vizier of the Persian shah; whoever concocted the story wanted years and additions.
51. He did not understand that it is a name left over from Egypt, which the Jews give as a title to the instrument of oppression.
52. I heard from al-Ma'arrî a saying in which he says, a matter seen by the eye of sound reason:
53. "A book among whose rulings are the voiding of women's acts of worship and the lawfulness of the well-known wine,
54. that book I cannot call a shining lamp; I cannot call it in any way the highway of felicity."
Literary and Historical Commentary
The title "Tevârî-i Tevrât", the hiding of the Torah, states the target of this long kaside at the outset: it is a polemic in the divan directed at Judaism and the Torah. Even so, the first half of the kaside is a broad criticism of mankind: the ages are glutted with superstitions, the human mind has been lulled to sleep with a lullaby, peoples love not loving one another, man takes his own crookedness for uprightness, and given the chance everyone is ready to become Pharaoh. The verse of the sura al-'Âdiyât in the fourteenth couplet, "Truly man is ungrateful to his Lord" (100:6), sums up this part.
The debate on alteration
From the twenty-fifth couplet on, the target turns to the Torah. The poet defends the view of "tahrîf" in Islamic theology, the idea that the text at hand has been altered, and gives examples: the Torah's laying of the golden calf on Aaron contradicts the Qur'anic account that ties it to the Sâmirî; the account that God created in six days and rested on the seventh is seen as contrary to the verse of the sura Qâf, "no weariness touched Us" (50:38). Between the thirty-fifth and thirty-ninth couplets the poet interprets the "six days" not as calendar days but as stages whose bounds had not yet been drawn, and explains God's law as "a wise gradualness" with the example of the child born in nine months. This part is a theological debate and repeats the familiar subjects of the interreligious polemical literature of the period.
The language of prejudice
Some couplets of the kaside, however, go beyond debate and rest on prejudices that condemn a whole community. The saying in the fifteenth couplet that levels a sweeping moral charge at Jews, and the expression in the twenty-third that accuses the Talmud of forgery, are antisemitic claims, without historical or religious basis, that circulated in Europe and the Ottoman lands; the text of the poem is translated here as a historical document and does not confirm them. The forty-fifth to fifty-first couplets mock the account of complaint about the manna in the book of Exodus and the custom of making noise at the feast of Purim to drown out Haman's name; the copyist's note on Esther belongs to this section. The last three couplets quote a saying of Abu'l-'Alâ' al-Ma'arrî. The kaside appears on this page to document a late Ottoman Muslim scholar's polemical language about religions; theological debate and prejudice stand side by side in one text, and none of the prejudiced charges rests on fact. A few words not firmly read in the thesis are marked separately in the translation.
Bibliography
- Zeynep Adıyahşi, Merzifonlu İbrâhîm Cûdî Dîvânı (İnceleme-Metin-Sözlük) [43b-87b], Master's thesis, Ondokuz Mayıs University, Samsun 2017, pp. 71-75 (poem no. 225; manuscript fol. 64a-64b-65a-65b). http://libra.omu.edu.tr/tezler/116831.pdf
Online sources
