Original Ottoman Turkish Text

Metre: Mefâ‘îlün Mefâ‘îlün Fa‘ûlün

Eyâ pâşâ-yı a‘ẓam ‘âlî-himmet
Sa‘âdet menba‘ı erkân-ı devlet
Güneş her dem alur enver ṭapuñdan
Ḳamer şey’-lillah ider hem ḳapuñdan
İren luṭfuñ nesîmidür ki her dem
Cihân gülzârın ider tâze ḫurrem
Ḳapuñda bende olur serv-i âzâd
Elüñde mûm olur luṭfuñla pûlâd
Eyü nâm ile şöhret bulalı sen
Olupsın gün gibi ‘âlemde rûşen
Anuñ k'ismi ‘Alî'dür pür-seḫâvet
Olur şânında lâ-büd fetḥ-i nuṣret
Cihân ṭurduḳça urduḳça felek raḳṣ
Cemâlüñ envârına gelmesün naḳṣ
Serîr-i rif‘at içre pây-dâr ol
Hemîşe hem-nişîn-i şehriyâr ol
Müdâm ol bâb-ı devletde vezîr ol
Bu ben miskîne luṭf it dest-gîr ol
Ġarîb-i bî-kesem sen göster iḥsân
Marîż-i bî-‘ilâcam eyle dermân
Özüñdür şimdi her derdüñ devâsı
Ṭapuñdur şimdi her faḳruñ ġınâsı
Ger irse mürdeye feyżüñ necâtı
Remîm olmış iken bulur ḥayâtı

Şi‘r Īn-Maḥal

Virür her mürdeye luṭfuñ ḥayâtı
N'ola ger zinde ḳılsañ ben memâtı
Özüñ re’yinde ‘âcizdür ḫıred-mend
Ṭapuñdur ḥall iden her müşkilâtı
Senüñ gibi vezîr-i bî-naẓîri
Bulınmaz istenilse kâ’inâtı
Seḫâvet ehli ismi sende mevcûd
Bulınsa ṭañ mı ẕâtuñda ṣıfâtı
Ruḫuñ devrinde rûşen oldı gülşen
Ḳadüñ ḳatında yoḳ servüñ s̱ebâtı
Cihânuñ şiddetinden ḫâṣ eger ‘âm
Senüñ ḳapuñda bulurlar necâtı
Nigîn-i dest-sâyuñ ḫâteminden
İrüşsün Mihrî'ye luṭfuñ berâtı

Mes̱nevî

Baña hem-rehlik it lillâh billâh
Mezîd itsün senüñ ‘ömrüñi Allâh
Benüm ḥâlümi sulṭânuma ‘arż it
Size vâcib olupdur belki farż it
Ġanîdür sâyeñüzde müflis ü aç
Beni ḥâşâ k'idesüz ġayre muḥtâc
Devâm-ı devletüñe ṣubḥ u şâmî
Du‘âcıyam dil ü cândan müdâmî
Eger ‘arż eylemezseñ şâha ḥâlüm
Ḳalur elbette boynuñda vebâlüm
Günâhum ṣıġmaya dünyâya düpdüz
Götürmez ẕerresini Kûh-ı Elburz
Amâsiyye'de Mihrî nâ-tüvânı
Götür ṭopraḳdan ey iḥsân kânı
Yüz urdum ḫâk-i pâyuña naẓar ḳıl
Bu ben ṭopraḳı luṭf it sîm ü zer ḳıl
Umaram ben ġarîb-i üftâde
Ki irem himmetüñ birle murâda
Ki zîrâ ḳalmışumdur çâr u nâ-çâr
Benüm ḥâlümden it şâhı ḫaber-dâr
Umaram luṭf-ı mihrinden o sulṭân
Dirîġ itmeye bu ẕerreden iḥsân
Velî her birinüñ bir mesnedi var
Benüm yoḳdur ṭapuñdan ġayrı deyyâr
Bu imiş çün zamânuñ şimdi kârı
Bulurlar mesned ile i‘tibârı
Kemâliyle kişi ger bulsa ‘izzet
Cihânda çekmez idi ehl-i ẕillet
Benüm içün ṣaġ ol devletlü paşa
Olam devrüñde ben maḥrûm ḥâşâ
Ḫıżır hem-râh olsun saña her dem
İki ‘âlemde çekme ġuṣṣa vü ġam
Zemîn ṭurduḳça rif‘atde müdâm ol
Cihânda devlet ile müstedâm ol
Felek döndükçe geldükçe bu devrân
Ṭavîl-i ‘ömr virsün saña Sübḥân
Eyü nâm ile şöhret bulsun aduñ
İki ‘âlemde Ḥaḳ virsün murâduñ

Ḫâtimet-i Du‘â

Ża‘îfe Mihrî'ye eyle şefâ‘at
Şefâ‘at bulasın yevmü'l-ḳıyâmet
Paşa ḥażretleri kân-ı mürüvvet
Vezîr-i bî-naẓîr-i ‘âli-rif‘at
Hemîşe devlet ile müstedâm ol
Muḳîm ol bu cihânda tâ-ḳıyâmet
Ḫıżır hem-râhuñ olsun her nefesde
Ḫudâ'nuñ ‘avni virsün saña nuṣret
Serîr-i salṭanat üstinde her gâh
Ḫudâ rif‘atde ḳılsun seni râḥat
Ayaḳda ḳalmışamdur dest-gîr ol
Ki sensin pür-seḫâ vü ehl-i himmet
Faḳîrüñ ṭut elin bulmaḳ dilerseñ
Cihânda rif‘at ü cennetde raḥmet
Ḳarîb olmaḳ dilerseñ Muṣṭafâ'ya
Ġarîb üftâdelere eyle şefḳat
Ṭapuñdur her gedâya çünki mesned
Nedendür kim çekem ben derd ü miḥnet
Naẓar ḳılsañ ḳılur her ḫâki çün zer
Ayaḳ ṭopraġıyam çekdürme ẕillet
Ġınâ senden bulur çün faḳr-ı ‘âlem
Faḳîre Mihrî'ye terk itme ‘âdet
Murâdum bu ki sulṭânum ṭapuñdan
Bu cânum mülki bir dem bula râḥat
Dilerem rûz u şeb Ḥaḳ Ḥażretinden
Ümîẕüm var ḳabûl ola bu ḥâcet

In English

1. O great pasha of lofty aspiration, source of happiness, one of the pillars of the state.

2. The sun takes its brightest light from your presence at every moment; the moon too begs at your gate, saying "for God's sake."

3. It is the breeze of your kindness that blows at every moment and keeps the rose garden of the world fresh and gay.

4. At your gate even the free cypress becomes a slave; through your kindness even steel turns soft as wax in your hand. (Serv-i âzâd is the cypress whose branches rise straight and bend to nothing; here it is said that even the most independent bows before him.)

5. Ever since you won renown with a good name, you have become as bright as the sun and known to all the world.

6. To the one whose name is Ali, full of generosity, conquest and victory must surely fall in his career. (The name Ali also recalls Hazrat Ali, who is remembered for his generosity and heroism.)

7. As long as the world stands and the heavens turn and dance, may no flaw come upon the light of your face.

8. Be lasting on the throne of eminence; be always the one who sits beside the sultan, the one close to him.

9. Be always a vizier at the gate of the state; show kindness to this wretched one, to me, and take my hand.

10. I am a friendless stranger; show your favour. I am a patient with no cure; be my remedy.

11. You are now the cure of every ailment; at your presence every poverty is turned into wealth.

12. If the saving power of your grace reached a dead man, even with his bones rotted away, he would find life again.

13. Your kindness gives life to every dead man; what would it matter if you brought me, who am like the dead, back to life.

14. The wise man is helpless before your judgment; it is at your presence that every difficulty is solved.

15. If the whole universe were searched, a vizier without peer like you could not be found.

16. The name of the people of generosity is found in you; is it any wonder if their attributes are found in your person. (The couplet can be read in two ways: "the name of the generous" may mean generosity's renown in general, or it may point, as in couplet 6, to the name Ali, that is, to Hazrat Ali, known for his generosity.)

17. In the era of your cheek the rose garden grew bright; beside your stature the cypress has no strength to stand upright.

18. Both the elect and the common people find deliverance from the hardship of the world at your gate.

19. Through the seal of your ring, which everyone touches and kisses, may the diploma of your kindness (berat) reach Mihrî too. (A berat is an official document of favour or appointment confirmed with a seal; the poet is asking for a document of favour that bears the pasha's seal.)

20. For God's sake, be my companion on the road; may God lengthen your life.

21. Present my case to my sultan; this is a duty that falls on you, regard it even as an obligation.

22. Under your shade even the bankrupt and the hungry are rich; God forbid that you should make me dependent on another.

23. Morning and evening, from heart and soul, I am one who prays constantly for the continuance of your good fortune.

24. If you do not present my case to the shah, the burden of my sin will surely remain on your neck.

25. My sin does not fit into the world at all; Mount Elburz could not carry even an atom of it.

26. O mine of kindness, lift Mihrî, left powerless in Amasya, from the dust. (To lift from the dust means to rescue her from the abasement into which she has fallen; the word "götür" may also be understood as a wish to be taken away from Amasya.)

27. I have rubbed my face on the dust of your feet; look upon me, and by your kindness turn this earth that I have become into silver and gold. (This is the alchemy conceit of turning earth into gold by a glance: a single look from the great makes the fallen rich.)

28. I, a fallen stranger, hope to reach my wish through your aspiration.

29. For I have been left with no recourse; make the shah aware of my condition.

30. I hope that, out of the sun-like love and kindness of that sultan, he will not withhold his favour from this atom. (Mihr means both "sun" and "love"; the atom seen in the sunlight is the poet herself. The word also recalls the poet's pen name, Mihrî.)

31. But each of them has a position, a backing to lean on; I have no one but you.

32. This, it seems, is now the business of the age: people win esteem only through position and backing.

33. If a person won respect by his accomplishment and maturity, those who are despised would not suffer this hardship in the world.

34. O fortunate pasha, live long for me; God forbid that I should remain deprived in your era.

35. May Khidr be your companion at every moment; may you suffer no sorrow or grief in either world.

36. As long as the earth stands, remain forever in eminence; remain firm in the world with good fortune and prosperity.

37. As long as the sky turns and this age goes on, may the Most Glorious God give you a long life.

38. May your name win renown with a good reputation; may the Truth grant your wish in both worlds.

39. Be an intercessor for the weak Mihrî and intercede for her, so that you too may find intercession on the day of resurrection.

40. His Excellency the Pasha is a mine of magnanimity, a vizier of lofty rank and without peer.

41. Remain always firm in good fortune and prosperity; remain in this world until the day of resurrection.

42. May Khidr be your companion at every breath; may God's help give you victory.

43. May God keep you at ease, in eminence, at all times upon the throne of sovereignty.

44. I have been left under people's feet; take my hand, for you are full of generosity and a man of aspiration.

45. If you wish to find eminence in the world and mercy in paradise, take the hand of the poor.

46. If you wish to be close to Mustafa, that is, to the Prophet, show compassion to the fallen strangers.

47. Since your gate is the support of every beggar, why should I suffer pain and hardship.

48. If you look upon it, you turn every earth into gold; I am the dust of your foot, do not make me suffer abasement.

49. Since the poverty of the world finds its wealth from you, do not give up the custom of kindness toward poor Mihrî.

50. My wish is this: that through you, my sultan, this kingdom of my soul may find rest for a single moment. (The couplet can be read in two ways: "my sultan" may point to the padishah and "from your presence" to the pasha; or the poet may be addressing the pasha himself as "my sultan.")

51. Night and day I ask it of the Most High Truth; my hope is that this request will be accepted.

Literary and Historical Commentary

Structure of the Poem

The second poem in the mesnevi section of the divan is fifty-one couplets long and appears in the edition under the title "Ḳaṣîde-i ‘Alî Paşa". Of the four manuscripts, it is found only in the M manuscript in the Ankara National Library (43b). The metre is the short hezec pattern "Mefâ‘îlün Mefâ‘îlün Fa‘ûlün". Arslan notes in a footnote that the metre is faulty in the first line of couplet 28. In the introduction to the edition the total of the mesnevis is given as 70 couplets; in the text, however, the first mesnevi has 29 and this second one 51, so the number in the introduction does not agree with the text.

What makes the poem interesting is that, although it is called a kaside, it has been placed in the mesnevi section and contains three different verse arrangements within it. The first twelve couplets are in mesnevi form: the two lines of each couplet rhyme with each other (himmet/devlet, ṭapuñdan/ḳapuñdan, dem/ḫurrem). Before the thirteenth couplet the manuscript has the heading "Şi‘r Īn-Maḥal", that is, "poem suited to this place", and from here to couplet 19 comes a seven-couplet ghazal-like piece: in the opening couplet "ḥayâtı/memâtı" rhyme, in the following couplets only the second lines end in "-âtı" (müşkilâtı, kâ’inâtı, ṣıfâtı, s̱ebâtı, necâtı, berâtı), and in the last couplet, as in a ghazal, the poet's pen name appears. Then, under the heading "Mes̱nevî", the poem returns to rhyme within the couplet (20-38). The last section bears the heading "Ḫâtimet-i Du‘â", that is, "closing prayer"; couplet 39 is rhymed in both lines like an opening couplet ("şefâ‘at/ḳıyâmet"), and up to couplet 51 all the second lines end in the sound "-at/-et" (rif‘at, nuṣret, râḥat, raḥmet, miḥnet, ẕillet, ḥâcet). In form this last section resembles a short kaside.

The mesnevi, since each couplet rhymes within itself, is a verse form suited to long narratives; the kaside is a poem that praises a great person with a single rhyme and closes with a prayer. Gülşen Kaya, in her thesis on Mihrî's divan, says that this poem has "an interesting structure showing a kaside-mesnevi structure." The poem follows the sections of a kaside (praise, request, prayer) but builds them within the mesnevi mould. It can also be seen that some lines are repeated with slight changes: "Eyü nâm ile şöhret" in couplets 5 and 38, the prayer for Khidr in couplets 35 and 42, and "devlet ile müstedâm ol" in couplets 36 and 41 are examples.

Meaning and Figures of Speech

The poem consists of three movements. In the first section the pasha is praised: the sun takes its light from his gate, the moon begs at his gate (2), the free cypress becomes a slave at his gate, and steel turns into wax in his hand (4). This is the customary hyperbole of the kasides. In the ghazal piece the praise passes into the language of the beloved: the pasha's cheek lights up the rose garden, and beside his stature the cypress cannot stand upright (17). Describing the patron as a beloved is a frequent course in divan poetry; here Mihrî carries the conceits of the ghazal over into praise.

The second movement is the request itself, and this is the liveliest part of the poem. What the poet really asks of the pasha is that he present her condition to the padishah (21, 24, 29). She says this in the language of a religious duty: presenting it is "vâcib, belki farż", an obligation or even a strict duty; if it is not presented, the burden of sin remains on the pasha's neck. In couplets 31-33 there is an open complaint about the order of the age: everyone has a backing, a support, esteem is won not by skill but by backing, and had a person won respect through his accomplishment, the able would not suffer abasement. Such direct lamenting is not often met in a poem of praise, and it adds a personal tone to the poem.

Among the figures of speech, the contrast between earth and gold comes to the fore. The poet calls herself "the dust of the foot" (27, 48) and asks that the pasha's glance turn the earth to gold and silver; this is the familiar conceit that likens the glance of the great to alchemy. In couplet 30 the word "mihr" lends itself to a double entendre (tevriye) with its meanings of sun and love; it forms a congruence of images (tenasüp) with the "atom" seen in the sunlight and also brings to mind the poet's pen name, Mihrî. In couplet 46 there is a pun (cinas), differing by a single letter, between "ḳarîb" (near) and "ġarîb" (stranger, friendless). In couplet 6 the pasha's name is stated openly: "the one whose name is Ali, full of generosity." The words generosity and conquest set up an allusion (telmih) between the qualities attributed to Hazrat Ali and the praised man who bears his name.

Historical Context

The edition does not explain the identity of the pasha. Kaya's thesis says that the divan speaks of "Ali Pasha, who served as grand vizier to Bayezid II," and that the second mesnevi of fifty-one couplets is dedicated to him; it does not, however, show the document on which this identification rests. The text itself makes plain that the addressee is a high vizier: he is called "pâşâ-yı a‘ẓam", it is wished that he be "vezîr" at "bâb-ı devlet", and "hem-nişîn-i şehriyâr", that is, one who sits beside the padishah, and he is asked to present the poet's condition to the sultan.

The vizier named Ali who rose to the grand vizierate in the reign of Bayezid II is Atik Ali Pasha, also known by the epithet Hadım. According to the TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi, Ali Pasha became grand vizier in 1501, was dismissed in 1503, came to this office a second time in 1506, and remained in the grand vizierate until his death on 2 July 1511 during the Şahkulu rebellion. In the struggle for the throne among the princes he supported Prince Ahmed against Korkud and Selim, protected men of learning and art, and gathered scholars and poets in his mansion. Given that Mihrî lived in Amasya in Ahmed's circle, it is understandable that she should apply to a grand vizier who was a partisan of Ahmed. Still, since there is no record of the year in which the poem was written, this connection remains a possibility.

The poem's request also agrees with the documents that describe Mihrî's relations with Bayezid II. According to the records of the in‘âmât register given in Erünsal's TDV entry, Mihrî sent kasides to the sultan regularly; she received gifts and favours in 1505, 1510, 1511 and 1512, and in 1508 she sent her divan and received a favour of 3000 akçe. It is noteworthy that some of these records coincide with Ali Pasha's grand vizierate, but the sources do not speak of a vizier's mediation in these favours. The words "Amâsiyye'de Mihrî nâ-tüvânı" in couplet 26 show that the poet wrote this poem from Amasya. In couplet 26 of the third kaside in the divan, the one presented to Bayezid, the poet also uses similar language, saying that she has been trampled and turned to dust in Amasya, and asks for help ("Pây-mâl olup Amâsiyye'de olmışdur türâb"). The two poems voice, in the same words, the effort of a woman poet living in the provinces to reach patronage at the centre.

The poem shows Mihrî's voice from another angle too. The poet calls herself "ża‘îfe" (weak, powerless woman) (39); the feminine form of this word makes it plain that the request is written in a woman's voice. The tezkires record that Mihrî never married; it is possible to read together with this life information the voice that complains "her birinüñ bir mesnedi var, benüm yoḳdur" ("each of them has a support, I have none") and introduces itself as "ġarîb-i bî-kes" (friendless stranger), but the sources do not separately describe the poet's situation at the time the poem was written.

Bibliography

Primary sources

  • Mehmet Arslan (ed.), Mihrî Hâtun Dîvânı, Ankara: T.C. Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı Yayınları (Kültür Eserleri Dizisi 576), 2018, pp. 181-185, Mesnevi 2, "Ḳaṣîde-i ‘Alî Paşa" (M 43b); introduction pp. 11-12. ekitap.ktb.gov.tr

Academic studies

  • Gülşen Kaya, Mihrî Hâtun Divânı'nın Tahlili, master's thesis, Fırat Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, Elazığ 2010, pp. 45, 62, 86. openaccess.firat.edu.tr

Books