Original Ottoman Turkish Text
Metre: Mefâ’ilün Fe’ilâtün Mefâ’ilün Fe’ilün
Stanza I
Cihânı tîg ile feth eylesen de itme gurûr
İder ecel okı âhir çü menzilüni kubûr
Finâ-i dâr-ı fenâda oturma âkil isen
Ki yokdur uşbu bilâd-ı belâda cây-ı sürûr
Gözüni yumup açınca kamusı gâ’ib olur
Şu kimseler ki iderlerdi devletünde huzûr
Gözün yaşı ko bulansın akup çü seyl-i revân
Sana diyem ki n'icoldu bu mâcerâ durutur
Kanı o zübde-i evlâdı şâh-ı devrânun
Gör ana mekr ü sitemle ne kıldı bir makhûr
Çıkardı cânı o cânı çıkası ol hânı
Hıyânet eylemedin hâtırına dahı hutûr
Hıyânetine nişân olmağa yazup yanılup
Bir iki nâme-i tezvîri pâdişâha okur
Kurup kemân-ı nifâkı ok urdı yazıda
Hadeng-i nâme-i telbîs ile çün itdi zuhûr
Azıtdı hîle ile pâdişâhı velhâsıl
Usandı cândan ü cânına kıydı zıll-ı Gafûr
Kaçup havâya kimi kimi dağlara düşdi
Görüp bu mihneti katlanmadı vuhûş u tuyûr
Teb-i firak ile âh nedâmetiyle o şâh
Hayıflar ana ki oldı yigitliginde tebâh
Stanza II
Çü menzil itdi saâdetle şâh divânı
O cânı pâresi cân atdı görmege anı
Hudâ'ya kendüyi tefvîz idüp rızâ virdi
Kazâda her ne kadar olsa hükm-i Rabbânî
Şehâdetine çü kalbi şehâdet itdi anun
Sa‘âdet ile geyindi libâs-ı nûrânî
O şehsüvâr olıcak aklar ile esbe süvâr
Gül-i sefîd idi gûya götürdi bâd anı
Ya mihr-i âlem idi cismi şa'şa‘aydı libâs
Ya hâle idi kuşatdı o mâha tâbânı
Görindi hayme-i şâhun bedenleri yir yir
Bir ucı geçmiş idi burc-ı çarh-i gerdânı
Tutardı şâh-ı cihân hiddet ile gey gazbân
Ki sûretâ görür oğlında yani isyânı
El öpmege varup el virmedi sa‘âdet ana
Ayağa düşdi o dem virdi baş ile cânı
Felekde cümle melek çarha girdi âh itdi
İrişdi göklere halk-ı cihânun efgânı
Tolındı toğmadı girü o şems-i hayme-i çarh
Figânı kullarınun tîre itdi devrânı
Kurıldı tâ ki felek haymesi bu köhne otağ
Girenler içine anun girüye dönmedi sağ
Stanza III
Görüp bu mâtemi bülbül hezâr zâr itdi
Soyındı gül kamu varını târümâr itdi
Salar başını vü karsar elini gülşende
Meger ki serv ü çınâra cünûn kâr itdi
Delürdi bu gam ile bâğa çekdiler suyı
Girince bâğa söğüt bir zamân karâr itdi
Çemende hâr çeküp gonca üstine hançer
Tebessüm eyledügine bu demde âr itdi
İşitdi cümle şecerler zih itdi endâmı
Sabâ çü bâğa bu peygâm ile güzâr itdi
Şükûfe akçesini saçdı yire hep eşcâr
Ki yani rûhı içün varını nisâr itdi
Bitürmez idi semer nârdan velîk Hudâ
O serv-kâmeti cûd ile mîve-dâr itdi
Velî ne assı bu etfâl-i hâdisât-ı cihân
O mîvesi olan eşcârı sengsâr itdi
Firâk-ı hâl-i ruhiyle dükendi ışk ehli
Tenini kanlu dikenlerle lâlezâr itdi
Çağırdılar o bekâ gülşenine ol hânı
Ki ehl-i gülşen-i cennet çoğ intizâr itdi
İrişdi kurb-ı Hak'a ruh-ı Mustafa fi'l-hâl
Didi melekler o dem merhabâ taâl u taâl
Stanza IV
Firâkı ile cigerler pür oldı yara dirîğ
Ne yirden o sefer itdiyse o diyâra dirîğ
İhâta eyledi dört yanını sipâh-ı ecel
Bulınmadı ana ol dem firâra çâre dirîğ
Cihâna sâye salalum dirdi lîk bâd-ı ecel
Düşürdi toprağa anı o şâhsâra dirîğ
Çü tünd-bâd-ı ecel hâke saldı ol servi
Akup gözüm yaşı gönlüm tutışdı nâra dirîğ
Firâk-ı la'li ile hasret-i cemâli ile
Geyindi âb-ı hayât ile Kâ'be kara dirîğ
Ağız açup üzerine atıldı ol şâhun
Sümûm-ı hışm ile döndi kemend mâra dirîğ
Ya dâm-ı fitneyi rûbâh-ı dehr-i dûn kurdı
Düşürdi âhir o şîr-i neri şikâra dirîğ
Nücûm eşkini dökdi gözini yumdı anun
Umar idi ki felek bahtını uyara dirîğ
Tanîn-i zâr ıla tâs-ı felek pür olsa ne tan
Husûfa vardı tutıldı o mâh-pâre dirîğ
Yir altına kodılar ol civân-ı sîm-teni
Ki genc iken anı defn itdiler mezâra dirîğ
Ayağı altına ibretle baksa ehl-i basar
Göreydi kim niçe şehzâdeler başını basar
Stanza V
Severdi anı ki sâf idi kalbi sağ er idi
Adûsı idi müdâm ol ki ehl-i sâgar idi
Ziyâde kâmil idi âlim idi âmil idi
Mutî‘-i şer‘ idi adliyle sâye-güster idi
Celîsi âlim idi hemdemi meşâyih idi
Cihânda zâhiri vü bâtını münevver idi
Severdi sâ’im ü kâ’im olanı dehr içre
Ki rûz ü şeb sulehâya enîs ü hem-ser idi
‘Aceb mi rûhı çıkup gitse âlem-i gayba
Cihânda gâ’ib erenler çün ana rehber idi
Sehâda defterini tayy iderdi Hâtem'ün ol
Vegâda Sâm-ı süvârı atından atar idi
İletse bahr ü sehâba peyâm-ı cûdını bâd
Birisi cûş idüp inlerdi biri ağlar idi
Eğer ki bâd ile heycâda göndereydi haber
Sinân-ı düşmen idüp havf elinde ditrer idi
Ne sâ’il ağladı devrinde ne adüv güldi
Ki cûd ü hışm ile ıslâh iden o server idi
Aceb mi girye iden gülse girye itse gülen
Ki bî karâr idügi âlemün mukahher idi
Hayıflar oldı çü yirden göge o sultâna
Gözüm sen ağla gönül sen de başla efgâna
Stanza VI
Kurusun eli kemend atan ana lâl olsun
Kim aldı ise ayağını pâymâl olsun
‘Afüv ki eyledi bühtânı mümkin oldukça
Cihânda sıhhat ü rif’at ana muhâl olsun
Celâli yüzi yoğ idi cemâli gâlib idi
Celâli oldı diyen ana bî-mecâl olsun
Bir eğri "ra" ile "lam" oldı elif-i kâmet
‘Adüvlerin dahı derd ile kaddi "dâl" olsun
Cihânda çekdi o cümle ezânun âlâmın
Cinânda hemdemi Eyyûb ile Bilâl olsun
Çü bir kem al-ıla ile irdi o mihr-i dehre zevâl
Cemâli yüzi kıyâmetde ber-kemâl olsun
Ayırdı al-ıla âlinden anı ehl-i fesâd
İlâhi hemdemi ashâb enîsi âl olsun
Elem içinde kalup kadleri çü lâm oldı
Mekânı kullarınun kûşe-i melâl olsun
İdüp firâk ile mûye olup figân ile mû
Vücûdı cümlesinin nâle ile nâl olsun
Tokınsa bâd-ı ecel bâğ-ı ömr içinde yakar
Gerek diraht-ı bülend ü gerek nihâl olsun
Düşürdi devhâ-i devlet çü bir budağını
Nite ki yıkdı cihân şâh-ı pîr budağını
Stanza VII
Cihânda Kayser'ün olsa ‘aceb mi kasrı harâb
Hüdâ çü kendi binâ itdügi ol ola yebâb
Kusûrı yoğ iken ol kâh-ı devleti gör kim
Zamâne kalb idüben âhir itdi hâk ü türâb
Çü şâh-zâde bakagördi kim cihân fânî
Gözini açdı bu dünyâyı bildi ‘âlem-i hâb
Getürdi peyk-i ecel ‘âlem-i bekâ haberin
Ki ol şeh anun içün itdi rıhlete şitâb
Vücûdı perdesi şerminden idi te’hîri
İrişdi kurb-ı Hüdâya şu dem ki gitdi hicâb
Umarlar idi ola pâdişâh-ı heft iklîm
Semâ vü arz-ı melik bâd ü hâk ü ateş ü âb
Velî o murg-ı hümâ-veş cihâna itmedi meyl
Ki bâğ-ı ‘âlemi tutmış kelâğ ü râğ ü gurâb
Mu‘înî ağlama az oldı diyü yaşı anun
Duâlar eyle ki bârî ziyâde ide sevâb
Cihânda ağlayanun yok hisâbı anun içün
İlâhî gülşen-i Firdevs'e ilet itme hisâb
Şeh-i zemânenün ömrini rahmetini anun
Ziyâde eyle iki âleme budur çü savâb
Du‘a idüp didi târîh-i mevtin ehl-i şühûd
Civâr-ı Ahmed'e irgüre Mustafâ’yı Vedûd
In English
Stanza I
1. Even if you conquer the world with the sword, be not proud; for the arrow of death in the end makes the grave your dwelling.
2. If you are wise, do not sit in the courtyard of the abode of mortality; for in these lands of affliction there is no place of joy.
3. All those who attended your presence in your days of fortune vanish in the blink of an eye.
4. Let the tears of your eyes flow turbid like a rushing flood; let me tell you how this event came about (the end of the line is obscure).
5. Where is he, the choicest of the children of the shah of the age; see what a cursed one did to him with deceit and cruelty.
6. One whose soul deserves to be torn out tore out the soul of that khan; yet betrayal had never even crossed his mind.
7. Writing misleadingly, so as to give evidence of his treachery, he reads a forged letter or two to the sultan.
8. He drew the bow of discord and shot with writing; when he came forth with the arrow of the letter of deceit,
9. in the end he led the sultan astray with guile; the shadow of the Forgiving (God) on earth (the sultan) grew weary and took his life.
10. Seeing this affliction the wild beasts and the birds could not bear it; some fled into the air, some took to the mountains.
11. That shah (the sultan) was left with the fever of separation and the sigh of remorse; alas for him (the prince), who was destroyed in the prime of his youth.
Stanza II
12. When the shah's council halted in felicity, that piece of his soul (his son) longed to see him.
13. He commended himself to God; whatever the divine decree might be in destiny, he consented to it.
14. When his heart bore witness that he would be a martyr, he put on a garment of light in felicity.
15. When that fine horseman dressed in white and mounted his horse, he was like a white rose carried by the wind.
16. Either his body was the sun that lights the world and his garment its radiance, or his garment was a halo surrounding that shining moon.
17. The battlemented walls of the shah's tent appeared here and there; one end of it had passed beyond the tower of the turning heaven.
18. The king of the world stood in anger, full of wrath; for in appearance he saw rebellion in his son.
19. He went to kiss the hand, but felicity gave him no hand; at that moment he fell at the feet and gave his head and life.
20. In the heavens all the angels whirled and sighed; the lament of the world's people reached the skies.
21. That sun of the tent of heaven was eclipsed and did not rise again; the lament of his servants darkened the age.
22. Since the tent of heaven, this old pavilion, was pitched, none of those who entered it has come back alive.
Stanza III
23. Seeing this mourning the nightingale moaned a thousand times; the rose stripped itself and scattered all it had.
24. In the rose garden it shakes its head and flings its hands about; it seems a madness has come upon the cypress and the plane tree.
25. It went mad with this grief, and they drew water into the garden; on entering the garden the willow was calm for a while.
26. When the thorn in the meadow drew a dagger over the rosebud, the rosebud was ashamed at that moment of having smiled.
27. When the morning breeze passed through the garden with this message, all the trees heard it and their forms were drawn taut like bowstrings.
28. The trees scattered all the coins of their blossoms on the ground; that is, they scattered all they had for his soul.
29. Fire (nâr) bears no fruit, but God made that cypress-statured one fruitful through generosity (nâr means both fire and pomegranate).
30. But what did these children of the world's events do: they stoned the trees that bore fruit.
31. With separation from the mole on his cheek the people of love were worn away; they turned their bodies into tulip beds with bloody thorns.
32. They called that khan to the rose garden of permanence, for the people of the rose garden of paradise had long awaited him.
33. The soul of Mustafa at once reached nearness to God; at that moment the angels said, "Welcome, come, come".
Stanza IV
34. With his loss hearts are filled with wounds, alas; from whatever place he set out for that land, alas.
35. The soldiers of death surrounded him on all four sides; at that moment no means of escape was found, alas.
36. He used to say, "let us cast our shade over the world", but the wind of death felled that branching tree, that royal bough, to the ground, alas.
37. When the fierce wind of death laid that cypress in the dust, my tears flowed and my heart caught fire, alas.
38. With separation from his lip and longing for his beauty, both the water of life and the Kaaba put on black, alas.
39. It opened its mouth and sprang upon that shah; the noose turned into a snake with the poison of wrath, alas.
40. Or else the fox of the base world set the trap of intrigue; in the end it brought that valiant lion down as prey, alas.
41. The stars shed their tears, he closed his eyes; he had hoped the heavens would awaken his fortune, alas.
42. No wonder if the bowl of heaven is filled with moaning; that piece of the moon was eclipsed and went into darkness, alas.
43. They laid that silver-bodied youth beneath the earth; they buried him in the grave while he was still young, alas.
44. If those who have eyes looked beneath their feet with understanding, they would see how many princes' heads they tread upon.
Stanza V
45. He loved the sound man whose heart was pure; the man of the wine cup was ever his enemy ("müdâm" means both ever and wine).
46. He was most perfect, learned and acting on his learning; obedient to the sacred law, he cast his shade through justice.
47. His companions in council were scholars, his friends sheikhs; in this world both his outward and his inward were luminous.
48. In this world he loved the one who fasted and stood in prayer at night; night and day he was the friend and companion of the righteous.
49. Is it any wonder if his soul departed for the unseen world, since in this world the hidden saints were his guides.
50. In generosity he rolled up the ledger of Hâtem; in battle he threw horsemen from their mounts like Sâm (Neriman).
51. Had the wind carried news of his generosity to the sea and the cloud, the one would have surged and moaned, the other wept.
52. Had he sent word of battle with the wind, the enemy's spear would have trembled in his hand for fear.
53. In his time no beggar wept and no enemy laughed, for he was the leader who set things right through generosity and wrath.
54. Is it any wonder if the weeping laugh and the laughing weep, for (in his time) the world's restlessness had been subdued (the couplet is obscure; this reading is ours).
55. Alas that this sultan has risen from earth to heaven; O my eye, weep; O heart, you too begin to lament.
Stanza VI
56. May the hand of him who threw the noose upon him wither and his tongue be struck dumb; may whoever tripped his foot be trampled underfoot.
57. The enemy (the text has "‘Afüv") who slandered as much as he could, may health and loftiness in this world be impossible for him.
58. He had no face of wrath, his face of beauty prevailed; may whoever says of him "he became a Celâlî" (a rebel) be left without strength (there is a double meaning between "celâl", wrath, and the Celâlî rebels).
59. His stature, straight as an alif, was bent like a crooked "ra" and "lam"; may his enemies' stature too be bent double with pain like a "dal".
60. In this world he suffered the pain of every torment; in paradise may his companions be Job (in his patience) and Bilal (the tormented muezzin).
61. Since decline came upon that sun of the world through a ruse, may his fair face reach perfection on the Day of Judgement.
62. The people of discord parted him by guile from his lineage (âl); O God, may his friends be the Companions and his intimates the Household (of the Prophet).
63. His servants, left in pain, were bent like a "lam"; may their dwelling be the corner of sorrow.
64. Lamenting in separation and wasted thin as a hair with grief, may the bodies of all of them become like reeds with moaning ("mûye" lament, "mû" hair; "nâle" moan, "nâl" reed).
65. If the wind of death touches the garden of life it burns it, be it a lofty tree or a sapling.
66. When the tree of fortune let fall one of its branches, it was as if the world had felled the bough of the aged shah ("şâh" means both bough and king).
Stanza VII
67. Is it any wonder if Caesar's palace in the world falls to ruin, when even that which God Himself built (the human body) will be desolate.
68. See that palace of fortune, which had no flaw: time overturned it and in the end made it dust.
69. When the prince saw that the world is transient, he opened his eyes and knew this world to be a realm of dreams.
70. The courier of death brought news of the world of permanence, and that shah hastened to depart for it.
71. His delay was out of shame at the veil of existence; when the veil was lifted, at that moment he reached nearness to God.
72. They hoped he would be king of the seven climes, master of heaven and earth, of wind, earth, fire and water.
73. But like the huma bird he did not incline towards the world, for crows and ravens had taken the garden of the world.
74. O Mu'înî, do not weep because too little was wept for him; offer prayers, so that at least his reward may increase.
75. There is no counting those in the world who weep for him; O God, bring him to the rose garden of Firdevs without reckoning.
76. Increase in both worlds the life of the shah of the age, and Your mercy upon him; this is what is meritorious.
77. Those whose hearts' eyes are open prayed and spoke the date of his death thus: "May the Loving (God) bring Mustafa to the side of Ahmed (the Prophet)."
Literary and Historical Commentary
Structure of the Poem
The poem is a terkib-i bend of seven stanzas in the metre "mefâ’ilün fe’ilâtün mefâ’ilün fe’ilün". Each stanza consists of a section (hane) of ten couplets and a separately rhymed linking couplet (vasıta beyti); with seventy-seven couplets the poem is thus one of the longest elegies written for Prince Mustafa. In the sections the second lines end with the same rhyme: "-ûr" in the first stanza, "-ânı" in the second, "-âr itdi" in the third, the redif (refrain word) "dirîğ" in the fourth, "idi" in the fifth, "-âl olsun" in the sixth and "-âb" in the seventh. The redif "dirîğ" (alas), repeated at the end of every couplet of the fourth stanza, turns that stanza into a lament. The pen name (mahlas) appears in the last stanza in the address "Mu‘înî ağlama". The last couplet is a chronogram: the line "Civâr-ı Ahmed'e irgüre Mustafâ'yı Vedûd" is composed to give the date of death by abjad reckoning; we have not verified the calculation ourselves.
Ayhan Güldaş published the elegy in 1989 in his article "Bilinmeyen Şehzade Mustafa Mersiyeleri"; it is given here as quoted in Recep Hasar's thesis. Hasar notes metrical faults in the third couplet of the fourth stanza and the fourth couplet of the sixth stanza, and that a "vav" is missing in the manuscript in the tenth couplet of the sixth stanza. The reading of the word "durutur" at the end of the fourth couplet of the first stanza and of "‘Afüv" at the beginning of the second couplet of the sixth stanza is uncertain; these places are marked in the rendering.
Meaning and Figures of Speech
Mu'înî's elegy is, as Hasar establishes, one of three poems that recount the event from beginning to end; the others are those of Taşlıcalı Yahya and Fünûnî. The first stanza opens with the transience of the world and then turns to accusation: a "cursed one" read a forged letter or two to the sultan as evidence of the prince's treachery, drew the bow of discord and shot with writing, and in the end led the sultan astray. Hasar notes that the story of the forged letters is treated most openly in this elegy; the same expression "nâme-i tezvîr" occurs in Yahya's elegy. The second stanza is the scene of the death. Commending himself to God, the prince puts on a garment of light, that is, white clothes, and mounts his horse; the poet likens him to a white rose carried by the wind and his radiant garment to the light that forms a halo around the moon. The sultan waits in anger; the prince goes to kiss his hand, falls at his feet and gives up his life. The linking couplet of the stanza, saying that none who enter the tent of heaven come back alive, lets the reference to the imperial tent be clearly felt.
The third stanza is a long series of personifications describing the mourning of nature: the nightingale moans, the rose strips itself, the cypress and plane tree shake their heads as if mad, the willow is taken to water to calm it. In the ninth couplet the word "nâr" is used in both its meanings, fire and pomegranate; the stoning of fruit-bearing trees is an image expressing that generous and good people become targets. In the fourth stanza the noose turns into a snake with the poison of wrath; Hasar records the likening of the bowstring to a snake as an image shared by Yahya and Mu'înî. In the same stanza the world is likened to a fox and the prince to a lion brought down in a trap. The line "Ne yirden o sefer itdiyse o diyâra dirîğ" describes the prince's journey from the place he set out to the land of death; the march from Amasya to Ereğli may be meant here, and this reading is our own.
The fifth stanza is a eulogy: the prince is drawn as a leader who sat with scholars, befriended sheikhs, surpassed Hâtem in generosity and unhorsed riders in battle like Sâm. In the first couplet the word "müdâm", in its meanings "ever" and "wine", expresses the hostility of the men of the wine cup towards the prince. The sixth stanza is a curse, and Hasar quotes it as an example of the heavy reproach and curses in the elegies. The stanza is dense with images of letters: the stature straight as an alif was bent like "ra" and "lam", and the enemies' stature should be bent double like "dal". In the words "Celâli oldı diyen" there is a double meaning (tevriye) between "celâl" (wrath, majesty) and the Celâlî rebels: the poet curses those who call the prince a rebel. The last stanza says that the prince was expected to become king of the seven climes; with the image of the huma bird that does not incline towards the garden of the world, held by crows and ravens, the poet interprets the death as an ascent and ends the poem with a chronogram couplet.
Historical Context
Because there is more than one poet with the pen name Mu'înî in the biographical anthologies, the identity of the Mu'înî who wrote the elegy has not been established; the two Mu'înîs mentioned by Beyânî and Kınalızâde and their relation to the elegy are discussed in the biographical article in this category. The elegy's detailed account of the forged letters, of the scene before the imperial tent and of the prince's white garments suggests that it was written by someone who knew the event at close hand. The other elegies are described in our article Elegies for Prince Mustafa.
Bibliography
- Recep Hasar, Türk Edebiyatı'nda Padişah ve Şehzade Mersiyeleri, MA thesis, Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakıf Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, 2018, pp. 89, 93, 95, 102, 117-118, 470-477. https://hdl.handle.net/11352/2746
- Ayhan Güldaş, "Bilinmeyen Şehzade Mustafa Mersiyeleri", Kubbealtı Akademi Mecmuası, 18(3), 1989, pp. 40-44 (as quoted in Hasar).
Online sources
