Original Ottoman Turkish Text

Metre: mefā‘īlün mefā‘īlün fe‘ūlün

Couplets 2966-2968

Gel iy hicrân elinde mübtelâ dil
Di söyle hicr ile ne hâl-i müşkil
İñilde ney gibi her dem olup zâr
Nice kânun umar zâr içre bîmâr
Büküp kaddüñi kıldı hicr eli çeng
Neçün iñlenmez idüp nâle âheng

Couplets 2972-2974

Koma elden hevâ-yı yurd-ı aslı
Bunuñ hod bellü ne aslı vü faslı
Mu‘ayyen ma‘nî-i hubbu’l-vatan ne
Degül hâcet dimek saña kimesne
Münîrî söylegil hicretle ashâb
Ne kıldı ya ne çekdi cân-ı ahbâb

Couplets 2977-2984

Kureyş ile ki ‘ahd idüben ensâr
Gelüp yümn ile sâkin k’oldı Muhtâr
İzâdan çekdiler el gerçi a‘yân
Mecânîn-i Kureyşe nice peymân
Yine dindi hem anlara ki di iyt
Havâle anuñ içün oldı her it
Çekerlerdi cefâ yine bayagı
Kaçan bir yirde olur iki yagı
Gelüp ashâb bir gün bess-i şekvâ
Cenâbına kim itdiler hüveydâ
قال عَلَيه السَّلام اِنَّ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ قَد جَعَلَ لَكُم اخواناً وَداراً تَأمَنونَ
Didi Bârî te‘âlâ size me‘men
Bürâderlerle virdi ‘ayn-ı gül-şen
Varuñ anlarla oluñ şâd u hurrem
Ola kim mesken ola baña da hem
Bu emr ile hemân başlandı gide
Medîneye sahâbe rıhlet ide

Couplets 3044-3047

Dirilüp irte Dâru’n-Nedveye hep
Olunsun meşveret irince tâ şeb
Meger kim tanışıkçün-idi ol cây
Ki Dâru’n-Nedve didi yohsul u bay
Havâs anda dirildiler sehergeh
Velî dindi ‘avâma virmeñüz reh
Gelürse ecnebîye de dine kıf
Ki kimse olmaya esrâra vâkıf

Couplets 3050-3075

Meger şeytân ‘aleyhi’l-la‘ne derhâl
Kapuda bitdi bilmege ne ahvâl
Dönüp kendüsi bir pîr-i ‘azîze
Diler k’ire Kureyşi bî-temîze
Didi derbân-ı Dâre’n-Nedve kimsin
Ki görmişsin cihânda bu kadar sin
İyitdi di Hişâm oglına gelsün
Cevâbum her ne-ise kendü alsun
Varup hâcib ki geldi Cehl iti dûn
Çıkup görüşdiler ol iki mel‘ûn
Didi iy şeyh-i kâmil merhabâ biñ
Sizüñ ne biñse dahı eylegil yiñ
İyitdi ehl-i hürmet bir kişiyem
Yog eksük ‘âlem içre hîç nesnem
İşitdüm kim Kureyşe düşdi bir iş
Dilerven mâl ü ‘akl ile olam iş
Gelüp Bû Cehle ol sözi igen hûb
Görindi sırrıdur gözine mahbûb
Alup i‘zâz ile k’içerü girdi
Selâm anlara kim kâfirce virdi
Ebû Cehl idüben ta‘rîf-i bî-had
Geçürdi yanına i‘zâz ile sad
Görince ol la‘îne virüben dil
Serâser hürmet itdi ehl-i menzil
Ki zirâ vardı rûhânî bir sır
Ki kendüler gibiydi ol da kâfir
Didiler iy ‘aceb ism-i mübârek
Ne iki saldı sini Hak tebârek
İyitdi baña dirler şeyh-i Necdî
Ezelden şânemüzdür ‘ayn-ı mecdî
Görüp ‘ömr-i dırâz ile cihânı
Çog itmişem cihânda imtihânı
Eyü yavuz geçüpdür çok bu başdan
Ya yir yok görmedük kuru vü yaşdan
Geçürdüm ‘ömri ‘ayân sohbet ile
Ulaldum bu deme dek hürmet ile
Kureyşi añmagın envâ‘-ı millet
Ol oldı gelmeme bu şehre ‘illet
Ki kopmış arañuzda bir iki er
Çekermiş kendü ol da başka bir ser
Muhammed ibni ‘Abdullâhmış adı
İdermiş hvor her biliş ü yadı
Çıkarup kendü de bir yiñi âyîn
Eb u ced çün dir-imiş öldi bî-dîn
Diyüben Lât u ‘Uzzâ dîni bâtıl
Virür-imiş dûzahı size [ög]dil
Bu cem‘iyyet dahı anuñçün oldı
Bilürem hem buña bâ‘isde n’oldı
İyitdiler bu sırrı kimseye biz
Dimedük kimden işitdüñüz siz
Didi hep bunı baña Lât ü ‘Uzzâ
Diyüpdür saklamañ siz dahı aslâ

Couplets 3102-3109

Rebî‘a didi ben de böyle tedbîr
İdüpven görüñ olsun neyse takrîr
Tutup ol sâhiri muhkem idüp bend
Ne şehr içre koyavuz ne göre kend
Kenâr-ı bahre iltile mukayyed
İrer deryâ-durur keştî yâhod yed
Koyup fülk içre açup bâdubânı
Habeşe milkine geçüre anı
Gülüp şeytân didi olmaz bu da hîç
Muhibbîdür Necâşî hod degül pîç
Bilürsiz kim Muhammed kavmine ol
Geçende nice lutf itdi igen bol
Göricek Ahmedi leşker de koşar
Olur bu kerre her hayr işiñüz şer
Nicesini dahı söyletdi iblîs
Begenmedi biri sözinde ol pîs

Couplets 3113-3119

Görülsün her kabîleden nice er
K’ola her biri Rüstem-veş dilâver
Basup ivin çeküben tîg-ı ser-tîz
İdelüm pâre pâre tutuban tîz
Bahâdurlar tagılsunlar hemân-dem
Giden dûn yine k’ura subh-ı dem dem
Seher turup göreler k’Ahmed ölmiş
Diye her biri yâ Rab buña n’olmış
İdeler külli-i kavme tevehhüm
Görevüz kime irer gâyet-i hüm
Diyet virile âhir gâyeti bu
Budur matbu‘-ise ger kavl-i nîgû
İşidüp bu sözi şeytân-ı mel‘ûn
Sevinüp kahkahayla güldi ol dûn

In English

2966. Come, O heart, held captive in the hand of separation; tell what a hard state separation (hicr) brings. (Hicrân and hicr, "separation", share their root with hicret, the emigration about to be told.)

2967. Moan like the reed flute (ney), weeping at every moment; what order (kânun) can a sick man hope for in his weeping? (Ney and kânun are both instruments; kânun also means law or order.)

2968. The hand of separation has bent your stature and made you a harp (çeng); why do you not moan, turning your lament into melody? (The çeng is a curved harp; the word also means bent.)

2972. Do not let go of your longing (hevâ) for your original homeland; its root and its branch (aslı vü faslı) are already plain. (Hevâ also means air or tune and fasıl is a musical term, so the images of music continue here.)

2973. What the phrase hubbu'l-vatan, "love of the homeland", means is plain; there is no need for anyone to tell you.

2974. Münîrî, tell what the Companions did by their emigration, and what those dearest friends endured.

2977. When the Ansar (the Muslims of Medina) had given their pledge and the Chosen One (Muhtâr) remained, with blessing, among the Quraysh (the couplet runs on into the next; the construction of the first line is obscure),

2978. the notables did indeed hold back their hands from harm; but what pledge binds the madmen of the Quraysh.

2979. The couplet is obscure; as far as it can be understood, the Muslims were again abused, and every cur (every wicked man) was set to the task.

2980. The Muslims still suffered cruelty as before (bayagı); when have two enemies (yagı) ever lived at peace in one place. (Bayagı and yagı chime with each other.)

2981. One day the Companions came and laid bare their grief and complaints before him. Here the edition gives a hadith in Arabic, meaning: "The Prophet said: God, mighty and glorious, has given you brothers and a home in which you will be safe."

2982. He said: God Most High has given you a place of safety (me'men) and, with brothers, a very rose garden.

2983. Go, be glad and happy with them; may it be that it becomes a dwelling for me as well.

2984. With this command the Companions at once began to leave, setting out on the journey to Medina.

3044. (The idolaters said:) Tomorrow morning (irte) let everyone gather at Dâru'n-Nedve, and let counsel be held until night falls.

3045. That place was for taking counsel (tanışık); this is why rich and poor alike called it Dâru'n-Nedve, the House of Assembly.

3046. The notables gathered there at dawn; but the order was given: let the common people not in.

3047. If a stranger comes, let him be told kıf, "halt", so that no one learns the secrets.

3050. Then Satan, may he be cursed, suddenly appeared at the door to learn what was afoot.

3051. Turning himself into a venerable old man, he sought to get in among the undiscerning Quraysh.

3052. The doorkeeper of Dâru'n-Nedve said: Who are you, who have seen so many years in the world.

3053. He said: Tell Hişâm's son to come; whatever my answer is, let him receive it himself. (According to Çorak's summary, Abû Jahl is meant.)

3054. The doorman went; that base cur of ignorance (Abû Jahl) came out, and the two accursed ones met. (Cehl points both to Abû Jahl's name and to ignorance.)

3055. He said: O perfect elder, a thousand welcomes; the second line is obscure and may be understood as "whatever you ride, dismount", that is, be our guest.

3056. He said: I am a man of standing; I lack nothing in this world.

3057. I have heard that some matter has befallen the Quraysh; I wish to be your companion (iş) with my wealth and my wits. (The first iş means matter, the second companion.)

3058. These words pleased Abû Jahl greatly; the man looked lovable in his eyes, for there was a hidden kinship between them.

3059. He took him in with honour; and Satan greeted them in the manner of the unbelievers.

3060. Abû Jahl praised him without limit and seated him at his side with a hundredfold honour.

3061. When the people of the house saw that accursed one they gave him their hearts and all showed him respect.

3062. For there was a spiritual secret: he too was an unbeliever like themselves.

3063. They said: O elder, what is your blessed name, and on what errand has God, blessed be He, sent you.

3064. He said: They call me the Elder of Najd; from all eternity glory (mecd) has been our standing. (Necdî and mecdî chime.)

3065. I have seen the world through a long life and put many things to the test in it.

3066. Much good and ill has passed over this head; there is no place, on dry land or wet, that I have not seen.

3067. I have spent my life in open and well-known company; to this day I have grown old in honour.

3068. That all manner of peoples speak of the Quraysh was the reason for my coming to this city.

3069. (I have heard) that one or two men have risen among you, and that one of them takes his own road and leads apart.

3070. His name, they say, is Muhammad son of Abdullah; he holds in contempt everyone, friend and stranger.

3071. He has brought out a new rite of his own, and says, they say, that your fathers and forefathers died without faith.

3072. Calling the religion of Lât and Uzzâ false, he hands you hell, they say. (The last word of the line is completed in square brackets in the edition; it may be read as "reward".)

3073. This gathering too has been called because of him; and I know what brought it about.

3074. They said: We told this secret to no one; from whom did you hear it.

3075. He said: Lât and Uzzâ told me all of it; so you too hide nothing at all.

3102. Rabî'a said: I too have thought of a plan; consider it, and let whatever is decided stand.

3103. Let us seize that sorcerer and bind him fast; let us keep him neither in the city nor let him see any town (kend).

3104. Let him be taken in chains to the seashore; the second line is obscure and may be understood as "the sea reaches there, and a ship or a hand will carry him".

3105. Let them put him in a boat, open the sail and carry him across to the land of Abyssinia.

3106. Satan laughed and said: This will not do at all; the Negus is his friend, and no crooked (pîç) man.

3107. You know how lavishly he showed kindness to Muhammad's people when they crossed over to him.

3108. As soon as he sees Ahmad he will even give him an army; this time every scheme you think good will turn to evil.

3109. Iblis made many others speak as well; that foul one liked none of their words.

3113. Let some men be chosen from every tribe, each a hero as brave as Rustam.

3114. Let us raid his house, draw sharp-pointed swords, seize him at once and hew him to pieces.

3115. Let the warriors scatter at once; the second line seems to mean "while the night passes and morning draws breath again".

3116. Let them rise at dawn and find that Ahmad is dead, and let each one say: O Lord, what has befallen him.

3117. Let them suspect the whole tribe; we shall see on whom the matter finally falls.

3118. In the end blood money will be paid, and that is all; if a good counsel is sought, this is it.

3119. Hearing these words the accursed Satan rejoiced, and that base one laughed aloud.

Literary and Historical Commentary

Structure of the Poem

These couplets come from Münîrî's verse Siyer-i Nebî, a life of the Prophet. The work is a mesnevi (rhymed-couplet poem) in seven volumes; according to the TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi it runs to 866 folios and 32,475 couplets and is the longest known verse biography of the Prophet in Turkish literature. Its only copy is in the Topkapı Palace Museum Library (Koğuşlar, nos. 994-995). The copy was made in 930 (1524); the work is thought to have been completed before 1502. The 1,101-couplet section on the hijra in the third volume is, in Reyhan Çorak's words, the longest and most comprehensive hicretnâme (hijra narrative) known. The section belongs to a work outside the divan and, unlike the divan poems, does not appear in Ersoy's edition.

The hicretnâme has not been published in full. Çorak wrote a doctoral thesis on volumes 2-3 of the work at Marmara University in 2010, and in an article published in 2018 she gave couplets selected from the hijra section under their thesis numbers; in the manuscript the section occupies folios 363a-392b, in the thesis couplets 2966-4067. Couplets not taken into the article are marked with a dotted line. As Çorak states, the text is not given in full scholarly transliteration so as to be easier to read; this is why the original text lacks marked letters such as ḳ, ḫ and ṣ. Here the couplets of the article are divided into four posts and given in order. This first post contains 59 couplets taken from 2966-3119, and the couplet numbers are those of the thesis.

The metre is the hezec pattern "mefâ‘îlün mefâ‘îlün fe‘ûlün"; in the mesnevi form each couplet rhymes within itself. Çorak names the punning rhyme scheme as the work's most important feature and says that the poet used nearly every kind of this figure. In this section too the rhyme words are often two senses of one sound: Necdî and mecdî (3064), iş meaning "matter" and iş meaning "companion" (3057), bayagı and yagı (2980), biñ and yiñ (3055). The couplets fall under the first heading, which Çorak cites as "İbtidâ-yı Hicret-i Ashâb ve Hikâyet-i Hicret-i Resûl ve Hâlet-i Gâr". According to the TDV, Münîrî wrote the work expecting no reward from anyone, for God's good pleasure and the Prophet's intercession, and did not present it to any statesman.

Meaning and Figures of Speech

The section opens with a prelude. The poet starts from the sense of separation in the root of the word hicret and addresses his own heart. The first three couplets are built on images of music: the heart moans like the reed flute, finds no kânun, and the hand of separation bends its stature like a harp. Besides being instruments, ney, kânun and çeng carry a second sense in the couplet; kânun means order and çeng means bent. In 2972-2973 the words "original homeland" and hubbu'l-vatan, love of the homeland, at first sight express the love of home of those leaving Mecca. Çorak recalls that in Sufi poetry hijra is also used for the journey of reaching God; the opening couplets are open to this second reading as well. In 2974 the poet addresses himself, "Münîrî, tell", and passes to the main narrative. Çorak counts among the stylistic features of the work the poet's habit of addressing himself and saying "now begin the subject" as he turns to the story.

Then comes the language of storytelling. Çorak says there are four distinct styles in the work, that historical events are told in plain language the people could follow, and that conversations built on the "he said, I said" pattern are also written plainly and warmly. The scene at Dâru'n-Nedve is a good example. The exchange between the doorkeeper and the strange old man, Abû Jahl's hospitality, Satan's introduction of himself and the idolaters' question as to where he heard their secret flow like a small stage scene. The account given in Satan's mouth (3069-3072) presents the Prophet through the eyes of the idolaters: he has brought a new religion, said that the forefathers died without faith and declared Lât and Uzzâ false. Old Turkish words lend these conversations their life: irte (morning), tanışık (counsel), yohsul u bay (poor and rich), igen (very), kend (town). Satan rejects Rabî'a's proposal to send the Prophet off to Abyssinia by ship, reminding them that the Negus is a friend of the Muslims (3106-3107); this detail points to the earlier emigration of the Companions to Abyssinia.

Historical Context

The historical framework summarised in Çorak's article is as follows: the pressure of the idolaters of Mecca first drove some Muslims to emigrate to Abyssinia; after the two pledges taken from the Medinans at Aqaba the Muslims began to move to Medina, and the idolaters then met at Dâru'n-Nedve and resolved to kill the Prophet. By choosing one young man from every clan they would prevent the Banû Hâshim from taking revenge, and the affair would be closed with blood money. Münîrî's couplets 3113-3118 give this plan in almost the same steps. According to the TDV article "Hicret" the proposal was Abû Jahl's; according to Çorak's summary, in Münîrî it is Satan, in the guise of the Elder of Najd, who puts the plan forward and rejoices that it is welcomed.

That Satan joined the council in the guise of an old man from Najd is a report found in some biographies of the Prophet. Ahmet Önkal, author of the TDV article, says such reports should not be relied upon. Münîrî, for his part, expands the report into one of the longest scenes of his hijra narrative. Çorak notes that Abu'l-Hasan al-Bakrî and Ibn Ishâq are named as sources in volumes 2 and 3 of the work, and that Münîrî enriched the hicretnâme by elaborating some of the events found in these works. Çorak holds that stories of this kind fill the gaps between historical events and are used to keep the reader's interest alive and to make the narrative memorable. Çorak bases the hadith that follows couplet 2981 on Ibn Kathîr's history of Islam in its Turkish translation (Büyük İslam Tarihi).

Bibliography

Academic studies

Online sources